Lewis’ Job in Jeopardy After Loss : Angels: He goes just 3 2/3 innings and Hough keeps California in check for 5-3 victory. Sosa’s three-run homer is key hit.

On the night Fernando Valenzuela made his first minor league start for the Angels, Scott Lewis made what might be one of his last major league starts for a while.

Lewis needed a victory to help avoid being supplanted by Valenzuela as the fifth starter, but he instead fell prey to the problems that have undermined most of his efforts this season. Giving up runs both early and in clusters, Lewis lasted only 3 2/3 innings Wednesday as the White Sox defeated the Angels, 5-3, at Anaheim Stadium.

Lewis (1-5) gave up a run in the first inning, but got a reprieve when the Angels scored two in the bottom of the inning off 43-year-old knuckleball artist Charlie Hough (1-2).

But Lewis, who was not quite 5 years old when Hough made his major league debut with the Dodgers in 1970, fell behind again in the third after an RBI single by Frank Thomas and Sammy Sosa’s three-run home run to left, a blast measured at 404 feet.

Hough settled down after the first inning and didn’t give up another run until Gary Gaetti’s one-out homer to left in the eighth. The 43-year-old knuckleball artist gave up five hits and struck out six in 7 2/3 innings and was warmly applauded by the 25,803 fans as he strode to the dugout after being relieved by Donn Pall.

Bobby Thigpen pitched the ninth to earn his ninth save of the season.

The Angels were hoping to construct their first five-game winning streak of the season.

Lewis held true to form by giving up a run in the first--he has yet to shut out an opponent for the first three innings in a game--but the Angels followed their recent form and rallied in their half of the inning to take a 2-1 lead.

The Angels were fortunate to give up only one run in the first. Lance Johnson singled to left, and might have gotten to second if he hadn’t stumbled after rounding the bag. He took third when Robin Ventura’s grounder skipped past Lewis’ glove and into right field. Thomas walked on four pitches, loading the bases.

Dan Pasqua then hit a grounder to short. Donnie Hill tossed to second for the force on Thomas. But any chance of a double play vanished when second baseman Bobby Rose dropped the ball, and Johnson scored. Lewis managed to recover and struck out Sosa.

The Angels came back quickly. Luis Polonia beat out a grounder to short for his 11th infield hit. Polonia moved to second on Wally Joyner’s single to right, and he scored when Sosa’s throw to third sailed over Ventura’s head.

Joyner took third on the error and scored when Hough’s 2-and-2 pitch to Dave Parker bounced away from catcher Don Wakamatsu, who was making his major league debut.

Lewis proved unable to hold the lead. The big inning has hurt him in almost every start he has made and it came in the third inning Wednesday. He gave up four runs, three on Sosa’s home run, as the White Sox went ahead, 5-2.

Tim Raines led off with a single to left and went to third on a grounder and fly ball. Thomas then hit a chopper over Hill’s head and into left field, scoring Raines. Dan Pasqua walked on four pitches, and he and Thomas scored on Sosa’s homer into the left-field seats. It was Sosa’s sixth home run of the season.

Lewis was relieved by Scott Bailes in the fourth after two line-drive outs and a single by Wakamatsu. Bailes ended the inning by getting Johnson to ground into a force play.

In contrast to Lewis, Hough got stronger as the game progressed. He gained command of his knuckleball and used it to strike out Parker in the third after Gaetti reached on an error and took second on a passed ball.

Hough added strikeouts in the fifth (Joyner) and sixth (Parker, for the third time) to increase his total to a season-high six. He had some difficulty in the sixth, but Hill grounded out with two on.