MacKenzie Gore allowed four hits over 6 1/3 scoreless innings, and Ezequel Duran’s two-run single highlighted a four-run first, as the Texas Rangers sent the visiting Kansas City Royals to a fourth straight defeat with Friday night’s 9-1 victory at Arlington, Texas.
Brandon Nimmo and Nicky Lopez each clubbed a two-run homer, while Joc Pederson went deep in the eighth for the Rangers, who broke out after totaling 23 runs in losing six of the previous seven. Gore (4-4), meanwhile, didn’t face much trouble while also yielding a walk and striking out three on 99 pitches against a Royals’ club that’s totaled five runs in the last four.
Vinnie Pasquantino had two hits, including a ninth-inning RBI single, for Kansas City, which is mired in 3-14 rut.
After Kansas City failed to score with runners on second and third in top of the first inning versus Gore, the Rangers came through in the same scenario during their half of the frame against Royals starter Stephen Kolek (3-1) to essentially take control of the game.
Pederson walked to open the inning and went to third on Jake Burger’s two-out double. Duran then drove both home with a single to center field for his first of two hits on the night. After Noah Carter’s bloop double, Duran scored on second baseman Nick Loftin’s throwing error off Alejandro Osuna’s grounder. Carter then came home via a double steal on catcher Salvador Perez’s own throwing error.
Kolek, who didn’t yield a run in last two starts, a span of 15 1/3 innings, settled down and got into a rhythm until the Rangers added on in the fifth. Josh Jung recorded a one-out double before Nimmo sent a towering drive into the right-field seats for a 6-0 lead.
With Kansas City’s Steven Cruz on the mound in the sixth, Danny Jansen walked, then ninth-place hitter and ex-Royal Lopez cleared the left-center field fence for his first hit in seven games this season with the Chicago Cubs and Rangers.
