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, 9-1 on Friday in Arlington, Texas.

Brandon Nimmo and Nicky Lopez each clubbed a two-run homer and Joc Pederson hit a solo shot for the Rangers, who broke out after totaling 23 runs while losing six of the previous seven.

Gore (4-4) didn’t face much trouble while yielding a walk and striking out three on 99 pitches against a Kansas City club that has totaled five runs in the past four games.

Vinnie Pasquantino had two hits, including a ninth-inning RBI single, for the Royals, who are mired in a 3-14 rut.

After Kansas City failed to score with runners on second and third in top of the first inning vs. 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 drove both home with a single to center field for his first of two hits on the night. After Evan Carter’s bloop double, Duran scored on second baseman Nick Loftin’s throwing error off Alejandro Osuna’s grounder. Carter then came home via on catcher Salvador Perez’s throwing error.

Kolek, who didn’t yield a run in his previous 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 with two outs. 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 Texas.

–Field Level Media