ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — MacKenzie Gore continued his home-field mastery this season with 6 1/3 shutout innings, Brandon Nimmo, Nicky Lopez and Joc Pederson homered, and the Texas Rangers beat the Kansas City Royals 9-1 on Friday night.
Gore (4-4) allowed four hits and walked one. The left-hander is 3-0 in five starts this year at Globe Life Field with a 2.08 ERA. His 1-4 road record comes with a 5.81 ERA.
The Royals have lost four straight, 14 of their last 17, and fell a season-worst 13 games under .500.
Vinnie Pasqantino ended Kansas City’s string of 23 consecutive scoreless innings with an RBI single in the ninth off Gavin Collyer.
Nimmo hit a two-run homer in the fifth inning off Stephen Kolek (3-1), who came off his second career shutout. Lopez, a former Royal who joined Texas on Tuesday, homered in the sixth off Steven Cruz with one on for his first Rangers hit after going 0 for 8. Pederson pulled a solo shot just inside the right field foul pole in the eighth off Eric Cerantola.
The Rangers struck for four two-out runs in the first inning with the aid of two Royals throwing errors. The inning included a two-run single by Ezequiel Duran, the first of two hits for Texas’ shortstop while Corey Seager is on the injured list.
Kolek, a Houston native who pitched three seasons for Texas A&M, gave up six runs, four earned, in five innings.
Kansas City is a major league worst 2-13 in games against left-handed starters.
Nimmo extended his on-base streak to a season-best 12 games.
Saturday’s middle game of the series will match Royals RHP Seth Lugo (2-4, 3.74 ERA) and Rangers RHP Kumar Rocker (2-5, 3.96.)
