Rangers Lose To Royals
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ARLINGTON, Texas — Kansas City Royals left fielder Alex Gordon opened up the 10th inning with one thought in his mind.
“If I get a good pitch to hit, a fastball down the middle or something,” he said, “I’m just going to get a good swing on it.”
He did just that.
Gordon drove the first pitch into the seats just inside the right-field foul pole, giving the Royals a wild 7-6 victory over the Texas Rangers on Tuesday night at Globe Life Park.
The American League Central-leading Royals (21-12) led on three other occasions, only to watch the Rangers come back to tie before the final blow. Kansas City previously went in front in the top of the ninth.
Gordon finished 3-for-5 as the Royals racked up 12 hits off six Texas pitchers. The winning blast came off reliever Stolmy Pimentel (0-1). Kansas City third baseman Mike Moustakas and first baseman Eric Hosmer also homered.
“Just the ability to come in and trade punches with them was
good,” Royals manager Ned Yost said. “Now that it’s finally shown itself, the power that we have, it’s huge.”
Royals closer Greg Holland (1-0) picked up the win after blowing a chance at his seventh save in the ninth. He wound up pitching two innings of one-run ball.
Texas (14-19) held the lead twice early before allowing six runs over the last five innings. The loss evened the four-game series with Kansas City at one game apiece.
Rangers manager Jeff Banister pointed to several mistakes late in the game, including a pair of outs on the bases and pitches up the zone.
“To beat the team that was in the World Series last year and they’re playing well right now, you’ve got to make sure that you make all the plays that you need to make,” he said. “You don’t give them extra chances, so we’re going to continue to work on it.”
The Royals grabbed a 6-5 lead in the ninth on center fielder Lorenzo Cain’s slow roller to the right side that scored shortstop Alcides Escobar.
Texas right-fielder Shin-Soo Choo (3-for-5) opened the bottom of the ninth with a single off Holland. Pinch runner Jake Smolinski scored with two outs on third baseman Adrian Beltre’s soft single to center.
Texas starter Nick Martinez, winless over his past five starts, left with the game tied 4-4 with one out in the seventh. Moustakas unknotted it in a hurry by greeting reliever Alexander Claudio with a mammoth blast over the Texas bullpen in right-center.
The Rangers came back to make it 5-5 in their ensuing at-bat, taking advantage of designated hitter Kyle Blanks’ excuse-me single with two outs. The bloop scored shortstop Elvis Andrus from third.
The Royals overcame a two-run deficit entering the sixth by stringing three consecutive hits together, including two doubles off Martinez. An error by Andrus kept the rally alive, and Kansas City excited the inning with a 4-3 lead.
Cain and designated hitter Kendrys Morales sandwiched two-baggers around Hosmer’s line-drive single. Morales, tied for the league lead with 11 doubles, scored the go-ahead run on second baseman Omar Infante’s sacrifice fly to left.
Martinez, however, wasn’t disappointed with his 6 1/3-inning outing. The Rangers lost for the first time in one of his starts.
“I thought I did well,” Martinez said. “They capitalized on a few of my mistakes, but good teams are going to do that. You just have to find a way to keep fighting and do your best to go deep in the game.”
Texas tied it in the bottom of the inning, chasing Royals starter Edinson Volquez in the process after Blanks’ leadoff double to right-center. Catcher Robinson Chirinos lofted a fly ball to center off reliever Ryan Madson to plate Blanks.
Martinez gave up four runs (three earned) on six hits in 6 1/3 innings. Volquez allowed four runs on six hits in five innings.
Choo and Hosmer hit solo home runs in the first and second innings, respectively.
