Rangers Lose To Royals
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ARLINGTON, Texas — Two Yordano Venturas appeared on Friday and combined they were more than good enough for the Kansas City Royals to win again.
First baseman Billy Butler and designated hitter Josh Willingham each hit solo home runs in the Royals’ 6-3 victory over the Texas Rangers on Friday night.
The right-handed Ventura (10-9), who is near the top in several statistical categories among rookie pitchers in the American League, picked up the victory, giving up one run in six innings.
Ventura, who walked three and struck out six, improved to 8-0 when the Royals score three runs or more.
The Royals have won 23 of their past 29 games and have the second-best road record in the American League.
“There were kind of two Yordanos,” Royals manager Ned Yost said. “One who was within himself, banging strikes and staying downhill. And there was one where he was just rearing back and throwing, struggled to keep the ball down.
“All in all I thought he threw a good ballgame for us.”
Butler’s eighth home run of the season came in the Royals’ three-run second inning and
Willingham’s long ball — his 14th overall and second with the Royals since being acquired through a waiver trade from Minnesota on Aug. 11 — led off the fourth.
Center fielder Lorenzo Cain, who was 3-for-4 with a double, and shortstop Alcides Escobar also had run-scoring base hits in the second inning.
Right-hander Greg Holland posted his major league-leading 40th save for Kansas City (71-56), which entered 1 1/2 games ahead of Detroit in the AL Central. He’s the second pitcher in club history to record back-to-back 40-save seasons. Dan Quisenberry did it in 1983-84.
Texas right-hander Colby Lewis (8-11) gave up four runs and six hits while striking out two in six innings while suffering the loss on the one-year anniversary of his hip-replacement surgery.
Lewis retired the last eight hitters he faced.
“Early in the game, he just couldn’t get the ball down,” Rangers manager Ron Washington said. “But then after that he settled in and when he left the ballgame we were still in it.
“We just needed to get some offense going.”
Third baseman Adrian Beltre was 2-for-4 with a double and RBI for the Rangers (49-78), who have lost eight of their last 12 games. Pinch-hitter Daniel Robertson and designated hitter Alex Rios each had RBIs in Texas’ two-run rally in the seventh.
Ventura became the 12th Royals rookie pitcher to record 10 or more victories and first since Brian Bannister won 12 in 2007.
Over his last two starts, Ventura has walked nine hitters, yet none has scored.
Ventura threw 107 pitches, but that included about 15 more when Butler failed to catch an easy foul pop at first. Butler was charged with an error.
“He’s got really good stuff,” Yost said. “He’s able to get himself in situations and pitch through them because he’s got a 100-mph fastball, a curveball that drops off the table. He’s got a great change.
“When he stays within himself, he’s really a pitcher out there. It’s being able to harness that.”
Right fielder Nori Aoki provided insurance for Kansas City with an RBI in the seventh inning when his ground ball went through the legs of Rangers first baseman Mike Carp, one of three Texas errors.
An error by shortstop Elvis Andrus in the ninth inning led to the Royals’ sixth run.
Texas also left eight runners on base.
Butler led off the Royals second with a home run.
Willingham was hit by a pitch, third baseman Mike Moustakas singled and both scored on Cain’s and Escobar’s base hits.
Yet, despite sending eight players to the plate, Lewis was able to minimize the damage.
“It just shows you his experience, that he doesn’t panic when it looks like innings are getting out of control,” Washington said.
Willingham’s home run to lead off the fourth represented the Royals’ fourth run.
Ventura pitched around Beltre’s double to lead off the fourth.
