BASEBALL / DAILY REPORT : ANGELS : Shirt Tale Proves a Sad One for Lewis

When Angel hitting instructor Rod Carew gave Scott Lewis his shirt to replace the pitcher’s lost uniform, Lewis initially declined the Hall of Famer’s offer. “I told him I didn’t want it because it had too many hits in it,” Lewis said. “I shouldn’t have changed my mind.”

Lewis gave up seven runs in three innings of a 10-2 loss to the Cleveland Indians at Tucson’s Hi Corbett Field. Albert Belle drove in four runs, three with a second-inning home run, and Carlos Baerga added a two-run double.

“My arm angle was off and I didn’t make the adjustment until the damage was done,” said Lewis, who is 0-2 with a 12.00 earned-run average in two exhibitions. “It certainly doesn’t help when you’re trying to win a job to go out and get shelled, but it doesn’t do me any good to dwell on it.”

Matt Keough appears to have an early edge over Lewis and Don Robinson for the fifth spot in the rotation.

Manager Buck Rodgers said that former Dodger Jose Gonzalez and Chad Curtis have played themselves into contention for a reserve outfield job. Both are right-handed hitters, balancing the left-handed hitting of Luis Polonia and Von Hayes. “If Chad doesn’t make it as the starting center fielder, it could be him or Gonzalez,” said Rodgers, whose team is 5-3 in exhibitions. “That’s what things are coming down to, either/or.”

First baseman Lee Stevens was hitless in three at-bats in his debut, which was delayed because of soreness in his right wrist. He said he had no pain after swinging normally. “It was nice to be able to feel I did something,” said Stevens, who will start again today if his wrist doesn’t stiffen. . . . Chris Beasley gave up two runs in two innings against the Indians, and Dave Johnson yielded one run in two innings before Mark Eichhorn finished with a perfect inning. . . . Outfielder Mark Davis underwent tests on his chronically sore right elbow in Mesa. It is believed the condition is caused by arthritis. . . . Polonia, sidelined because of a sore left shoulder, is expected back in the lineup Sunday or Monday.