Giants past Rangers 6-4

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Fred Lewis hit a go-ahead, two-run homer for the Giants shortly after Randy Johnson lost the chance for his 302nd career victory, and the San Francisco bullpen then hung on for a 6-4 victory over the Texas Rangers on Friday night.

Aaron Rowand and Travis Ishikawa also homered for the Giants, who snapped their three-game losing streak and kept the Rangers winless in all nine games they've played at San Francisco's waterfront ballpark in the past decade.

Marlon Byrd hit a two-run double on the first pitch by Giants reliever Brandon Medders in the sixth to put Texas up 4-3, but Lewis then ended a 2 for 26 slump with a shot onto the arcade above the right field wall.

Michael Young homered for the Rangers, who haven't won in San Francisco since 1998, when the Giants still played at Candlestick Park. The Giants have won nine of 10 overall against the Rangers.

The Giants used five relievers to maintain their lead. Sergio Romo (1-0) was awarded the win after escaping a bases-loaded jam in the seventh, while Jeremy Affeldt pitched a perfect eighth before Brian Wilson picked up his 18th save in 21 chances.

Scott Feldman (5-2) allowed five runs on eight hits in his second straight loss after starting the season with five wins in eight starts. Rowand homered on Feldman's second pitch of the night, while Edgar Renteria and Bengie Molina hit run-scoring singles in the third to put San Francisco up 3-0 before Young connected for his 10th homer in the fourth.

The Giants' June surge was interrupted earlier this week by the Los Angeles Angels, who rolled to the first three-game sweep by an opponent in San Francisco this season.

The Rangers' loss Friday night, coupled with the surging Angels' 5-4 win over the Dodgers, pulled the Angels within a half-game of Texas atop the AL West standings.

Johnson had five strikeouts in another solid start at home, where he has picked up five of his six victories this season — all except career No. 300, which occurred in Washington. Sticking to his season-long tendencies, Johnson again gave up a handful of costly extra-base hits, but got inning-ending strikeouts with runners in scoring position three times in the first five frames.

Right after Texas turned an improbable double play on a broken-bat blooper by Travis Ishikawa in the sixth, Lewis capitalized on his first start in a week by hitting his first homer since May 24.

Notes: Home plate umpire Bill Runge was hit in the mask by the barrel of Ishikawa's shattered bat in the sixth. After the Rangers turned an ensuing double play, the Rangers' medical staff briefly consulted with Runge before he continued the game. ... The Rangers' nine straight losses without a win at the Giants' waterfront ballpark are their most in any road park in club history. ... Texas' Omar Vizquel didn't play when he returned to San Francisco for the first time since spending the past four seasons with the Giants.


by the associated press