KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Rougned Odor and the rest of the Texas Rangers had been using the Kansas City Royals’ beleaguered pitching staff for batting practice most of the sun-splashed afternoon.

Then the Rangers used their backup second baseman for it, too.

One of Odor’s two homers came off Chris Owings, who was summoned by the Royals in the eighth inning to try to close out the 16-1 blowout. Hunter Pence also went deep off the utility man as Texas hit five homers in all, piled up 21 hits and won the rubber game of the three-game series.

“We’ve done a good job of salvaging the last couple of games,” said the Rangers’ Lance Lynn, who earned the win with a strong start that ultimately got lost amid the barrage of runs.

“For me, I have a chance to ride a loss or a win from the night before,” he said. “That’s always my motto. Whatever happened the night before I want to get the team going.”

Calhoun and Joey Gallo each homered among their four hits, and Danny Santana also had four knocks, though some of that damage came off a utilityman. Royals manager Ned Yost wanted to save his bullpen for an upcoming road trip, so he called Owings off the bench in the eighth inning.

“I told him, `Look, don’t be stupid,” Yost said, “but he did a great job of saving our `pen.”

Lynn (5-3) allowed a run in the first but little else over the next six innings as the Rangers won their first road series in nine tries. Their last one came last September in San Diego.

Homer Bailey (4-4) allowed six runs, eight hits and four walks in an all-around dismal day for the Kansas City pitching staff. Brad Boxberger coughed up three runs in relief of him as the Royals lost the rubber game of a series for the 13th consecutive time dating to last season.

Kansas City actually struck in the first when youngster Nicky Lopez, capping a solid debut series, hit the first of his two doubles and Adalberto Mondesi followed with a sacrifice fly. But Lynn and the Rangers controlled the game the rest of the way.

They pulled even on Gallo’s homer to left leading off the fourth, then battered Bailey and the bullpen by sending five runs across during the decisive fifth inning.

It started with a leadoff walk to Isaih Kiner-Falefa, continued with consecutive singles by Danny Santana, Calhoun and Nomar Mazara, and included two more walks by Bailey that sent in a run.

The veteran right-hander was finally yanked from the game, and Brad Boxberger appeared to have the Royals out of the inning when he induced Odor to hit a groundball. First baseman Ryan O’Hearn was able to field the ball cleanly but threw it away, keeping their misery going.

“There was a couple of hits. We missed being in the right spot cutoff-wise, trying to hold the game right there,” Yost said. “Brought in Boxberger and throwing error broke it open for them.”

Texas pushed across three more runs in the sixth, drawing a trio of walks off Boxberger and former closer Wily Peralta. It was the second straight inning the Rangers batted through the order.

“It’s kind of what we’ve been doing all year,” Rangers manager Chris Woodward said. “It was a 1-1 game going into the fifth. Homer Bailey was doing OK at that point. Those at-bats (in the fifth) kind of set the tone for the rest of the game. Big hits, big walks. That’s something we pride ourselves on. If you get a good pitch, take a rip. If not, let the next guy do it.”

NICE JOB, NICKY

Lopez was the Royals’ lone bright spot. Along with an RBI double, the 24-year-old rookie doubled in the third and drew a walk in the sixth while playing solid defense at solid second base.

STATS AND STREAKS

The Rangers have won five of six against Kansas City. They also have won nine of their last 11 at Kauffman Stadium. … Texas had lost 15 of 20 on the road. … The Royals had committed a league-low 14 errors before O’Hearn’s miscue in the fifth inning. … Owings allowed four runs on six hits and a walk while retiring five batters, giving him a 21.60 ERA for his career.

UP NEXT

The Rangers intend to use openers the first two games of their weekend series against St. Louis, though Woodward was not ready to say who they will be. The Royals head to Los Angeles to face the Angels on Friday night with Brad Keller (2-4, 4.47 ERA) on the mound.

— Associated Press —

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Ronald Guzman and Willie Calhoun each hit a two-run homer, and the Texas Rangers cruised to a 6-1 victory over the Kansas City Royals on Wednesday night.

Shin-Soo Choo added a solo shot in the ninth inning and Nomar Mazara matched a career high with four hits as the Rangers snapped a five-game skid. They have won six of their last eight against Kansas City, including an 11-5 loss in the series opener Tuesday.

Mike Minor (4-3) got through five rocky innings, allowing one run on eight hits and two walks.

Guzman drove in a run in the fourth before sending a hanging pitch from Jorge Lopez (0-5) booming into the center field seats in the sixth. The two-out shot broke open a 3-1 game and sent Lopez, who had plunked two batters and struggled with command all night, trudging toward the showers.

Lopez allowed seven hits and two walks while striking out seven.

Calhoun, called up from Triple-A Nashville before the game, got the Rangers off to a good start. The erstwhile elite prospect sent a first-inning pitch from Lopez soaring into the seats over the right-field bullpen, the no-doubt shot staking Texas to a 2-0 lead.

Kansas City answered by manufacturing a run in the bottom half against Minor, whose last appearance at Kauffman Stadium came as the Royals’ closer in the final game of the 2017 season. But after Adalberto Mondesi’s RBI single, the veteran left-hander escaped the rest of the inning unscathed.

It wasn’t the last time he negotiated trouble.

Minor also stranded runners on second and third in the second and fourth, and he pinned another runner 90 feet from home in the fifth. By the time that inning ending, Minor had survived a shaky night and has still allowed just 11 earned runs over his last 55 innings.

The Rangers’ bullpen allowed only one hit over the final four innings.

INJURED ELVIS

Texas put shortstop Elvis Andrus on the injured list with a strained right hamstring after he left Tuesday night’s game in the seventh inning. Rangers manager Chris Woodward is hopeful Andrus will be ready to return in 10 days. “You don’t want this to linger with him,” Woodward said.

ROSTER MOVES

Calhoun was joined from Nashville by left-hander Jeffrey Springs to provide a fresh arm in the Texas bullpen. Right-hander Wei-Chieh Huang was optioned to the same club.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Rangers right-hander Shawn Kelley could be activated in the next couple of days, Woodward said. Kelley has been dealing with a bacterial infection. … Woodward said right-hander Ariel Jurado will likely start Saturday against St. Louis. Woodward plans to get “creative” with the starter Sunday because left-hander Drew Smyly has a slight ankle sprain and his next turn could get pushed back a couple of days.

UP NEXT

The Royals wrap up their homestand Thursday by sending Homer Bailey (4-3, 4.83 ERA) to the mound against Texas. The Rangers counter with fellow right-hander Lance Lynn (4-3, 5.48).

— Associated Press —

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Nicky Lopez rewarded the few thousand Kansas City Royals fans that stuck around through a game that stretched well past 3 hours with his first career hit, an RBI single late in their 11-5 rout of the Texas Rangers on Tuesday night.

But as he gazed up from first base, the Royals’ top prospect found the ones that mattered most.

“I saw my family up there,” he said, “and that’s how I always imagined it.”

Lopez, who was called up from Triple-A Omaha earlier in the day, was hardly the only Royals player to take some productive swings against the Rangers. Hunter Dozier drove in three runs, and Alex Gordon and Jorge Soler drove in two apiece, as the Royals scored nine times in the first two innings.

They quickly knocked out Shelby Miller (1-3), who was pulled with two outs in the second after he allowed eight runs on seven hits in two walks in another ugly post-Tommy John performance.

Danny Duffy (2-1) was only marginally better for Kansas City, using 107 pitches just to survive five innings. He allowed four runs, seven hits and a walk while striking out seven.

“You make a couple of bad pitches and all of a sudden they get four runs,” Duffy said. “When my team gives me nine runs, it’s a travesty to not go as long as I can.”

Rangers shortstop Elvis Andrus left with tightness in his right hamstring after grounding out to end the seventh inning. He will be evaluated again Wednesday in another blow to a team that has lost five straight to fall a season-worst five games below .500.

“We’ll obviously evaluate him tomorrow,” Rangers manager Chris Woodward said, “but he seems pretty optimistic. He hasn’t had a hamstring problem before. We’ll see when he wakes up tomorrow how he feels.”

The Royals pounced on Miller right from the start, sending seven to the plate in the first inning and jumping out to a 3-0 lead. But they cracked the game open in the second, when they sent 11 batters to the plate and drove in six runs against Miller and Rangers reliever Wei-Chieh Huang.

The stunning offensive outburst came after Kansas City managed six singles and no extra-base hits in a loss to the Phillies on Sunday. And it came after the arrival of Lopez, who got the start at second base and hit second behind Whit Merrifield in the lineup.

Lopez walked in the third before his first career hit made it a memorable night.

“Nicky had some great at-bats,” Royals manager Ned Yost said. “I was glad to see Nicky get his first hit. That’s under his belt and now he can move forward.”

Joey Gallo had a pair of RBI for the Rangers, who tried to climb back into the game with a four-run third. But they stranded runners in four consecutive innings, repeatedly failing to get the crucial hit they needed to avoid a 1-6 start to their nine-game, 10-day road trip.

“They put some runs together. They put some big innings together,” said Miller, whose ERA ballooned to 9.51 this season. “It’s disappointing. I feel like I let my team down big-time.”

NICKY’S NUMBER

The Royals originally made up No. 19 jerseys for Lopez, but he asked to wear No. 1 because it was the number his father wore in softball. New jerseys were made and arrived before first pitch.

ROSTER MOVES

The Royals made roster space for Lopez by sending right-hander Jake Newberry to Triple-A Omaha and designating first baseman Frank Schwindel for assignment. The Royals are hopeful Schwindel clears waivers and they can keep him in their organization.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Rangers left-hander Cole Ragans, their first-round pick in the 2016 draft, will need a second Tommy John surgery after tearing his ulnar collateral ligament. The 21-year-old Ragans was close to pitching in a game for the first time since his last surgery when he began feeling discomfort about a week ago.

“It’s obviously concerning,” said Rangers general manager Jon Daniels, adding that surgery will be Wednesday. “This is the first Tommy John surgery we’ve had that’s failed.”

UP NEXT

The Royals hope Jorge Lopez (0-4, 6.07 ERA) can get on track Wednesday night after a blowout loss to the Astros. He goes against former Royals pitcher Mike Minor, who is 3-3 with a 2.68 ERA for Texas.

— Associated Press —

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Royals are bringing up top prospect Nicky Lopez from Triple-A Omaha, and he could make his big league debut when Kansas City opens a series against Texas on Tuesday night.

Right-hander Jake Newberry was optioned to Omaha in a corresponding roster move Monday. The Royals will still need to make a move with their 40-man roster before selecting Lopez’s contract from Omaha and facing the Rangers.

The 24-year-old Lopez was the Royals’ fifth-round pick in the 2016 amateur draft. He was hitting .353 with three homers and nine stolen bases in 31 games for the Storm Chasers, and hit a combined .308 with Omaha and Double-A Northwest Arkansas last season.

That success earned him the organization’s George Brett Hitter of the Year award.

— Associated Press —

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Cole Irvin barely slept Friday night and was a nervous wreck Saturday. But when he showed up to Kauffman Stadium on Sunday, Philadelphia Phillies manager Gabe Kapler knew the 25-year-old lefty was ready for his major league debut.

“We knew he was poised, we knew he was aggressive, we knew he was confident,” Kapler said.

Spotty showers, or “duck weather” as Irvin called it, couldn’t dampen his debut. Irvin threw seven innings of one-run ball, allowing five hits with one walk and five strikeouts to lead the Phillies to a 6-1 win over the Kansas City Royals.

Philadelphia scored six times in the fifth to break the game open. Phillies catcher J.T. Realmuto hit a two-run double and Odubel Herrera followed with a two-run single to back Irvin (1-0).

“He stayed on the gas pedal the entire outing,” Kapler said.

Seranthony Dominguez and Juan Nicasio each tossed a scoreless inning to close it out.

“Man, that was fun,” Irvin said. “Big inning in the fifth, and just allowing J.T. to take me for a ride.”

Kansas City has lost 12 consecutive series rubber games, a streak that stretches back to May 30 last year, when the Royals took two of three against Minnesota.

Irvin’s strong start continued an impressive run by Philadelphia’s rotation. Over their last 15 games, Phillies starters have a 2.36 ERA — second-best in the majors during that span.

Royals starter Jakob Junis (3-4) cruised through four innings but fell apart in the fifth. After Nick Williams reached on an error with one out, Junis walked three of the next four batters, the last one chasing him from the game.

“I got away from my command a little bit,” Junis said. “My fastball started to move a little more. Couldn’t make a pitch when I was 3-2, fell behind in the count a little bit when I needed to get ahead and it just came back to bite me.”

Realmuto greeted Richard Lovelady with a first-pitch double down the right field line, and Herrera hit his two-run single two pitches later. Herrera and Jean Segura each had two hits for the Phillies, and Andrew McCutchen was on base four times via three walks and a single.

Despite allowing just three hits, Junis was tagged for five runs due primarily to five walks. Free passes were an issue all weekend for Royals pitchers, who walked 18 batters during the three-game set.

“They’re learning that if you try to be too fine, you’re not going to be successful in this league,” Kansas City manager Ned Yost said. “Either you can’t throw strikes or you won’t throw strikes, and neither one of them will keep you here long, or neither one of them are going to allow you to be successful. Our guys all can throw strikes. They’ve all got good stuff. They’ve just got to trust it.”

Alex Gordon brought home the Royals’ only run with an RBI single in the third. After the umpires initially ruled Billy Hamilton was thrown out at third base before Cam Gallagher crossed the plate, a replay review showed Hamilton beat the throw.

Hamilton and Gordon had two hits apiece for Kansas City.

SPECIAL TRIBUTE

Phillies slugger Rhys Hoskins, who lost his mom to cancer in 2009, added some extra decoration to his pink Mother’s Day cleats. Hoskins wrote “Miss u mom” and the date she died on them, along with “humble” and “perseverance” near the toe. Both are words she instilled in Hoskins.

“Her will to live, her will to love, to be there for my sister and I, kind of embodied who she was as a woman and as a mother,” Hoskins said. “She just would always remind me to make sure that I stay humble and that I’m a humble person. It was something that she always said to me and it stuck with me.

“I thought the shoes were a cool way to show love in a different way.”

ROSTER MOVES

Before the game, the Phillies called up Irvin optioned LHP Austin Davis to Triple-A Lehigh Valley. Davis had been recalled on Saturday.

UP NEXT

Phillies: RHP Aaron Nola (3-0, 4.57 ERA) starts Monday night against Milwaukee in the opener of a seven-game homestand. Nola has given up just one run in each of his last three outings.

Royals: LHP Danny Duffy (1-1, 3.06 ERA) makes his fourth start of the year Tuesday night against Texas. Duffy held Houston to two runs over six innings in his last outing to earn his first win of the season.

— Associated Press —

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Zach Eflin and backup catcher Andrew Knapp have a good thing going. Phillies manager Gabe Kapler isn’t about to break them up.

Eflin became the majors’ first pitcher with two complete games this season, lifting Philadelphia over the Kansas City Royals 7-0 Saturday night.

Knapp has caught Eflin’s last three starts, and the 25-year-old right-hander has rolled right through them. He pitched nine innings of one-run ball two starts ago against Miami, then delivered seven innings of one-run ball last time out against Washington.

Now, this gem, Eflin’s second career shutout and first since July 22, 2016 in his eighth major league start.

“I will say this, if he throws complete-game shutouts, I will not not have Knapp catch him the next time out,” Kapler said.

Eflin (5-3) allowed four hits, struck out seven and walked none while throwing 110 pitches.

“There’s so many guys that pitch away from contact in this game,” Kapler said. “He’s fearless. He’s attacking the zone with all of his pitches.”

Knapp and Eflin have played together since Double-A in 2015 and developed a strong chemistry.

“I think it goes a long way when a guy trusts his catcher the way Zach trusts me and that didn’t come all at once,” Knapp said. “That’s been a long time coming with a lot of games played together, but we’re definitely on the same page. All I’m doing is calling the pitches. He’s the one executing it, so all the credit goes to him.”

“He knows what I’m best at, probably moreso than I do,” Eflin said.

Odubel Herrera doubled and tripled, and Andrew McCutchen and Rhys Hoskins each drove in two for Philadelphia. The Phillies worked seven walks, with every starter reaching base at least once.

Brad Keller (2-4) struggled with his command again, an issue that has plagued him all season. Keller walked four, hit one and threw a wild pitch in five-plus innings. The Phillies turned those free passes into six runs despite just five hits.

“I was yanking my head and pulling off pitches,” Keller said. “We had a really good game plan going in. We didn’t execute it the way we wanted to.”

It was Keller’s eighth consecutive start with at least three walks.

“He’s fighting his mechanics, which in turn leads to him fighting his command,” Royals manager Ned Yost said. “Walks hurt him, especially walks to the bottom-of-the-order guys. He’s battling through it.”

The top four batters in the Royals lineup each had one hit off Eflin, while the bottom five went 0 for 14.

“He hit a lot of corners. He was getting a little bit off the corners, too,” Royals infielder Whit Merrifield said. “But when you’re pounding the zone, you tend to get those good pitcher’s pitches. He mixed it up enough. He didn’t throw it over the white a whole lot. When you mix that with good stuff it’s hard to hit.”

Adalberto Mondesi stole his 13th base of the season and third over his last two games, breaking a tie with Tim Anderson of the Chicago White Sox for most in the majors.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Phillies: Philadelphia placed RHP Vince Velasquez (right forearm strain) on the injured list, retroactive to May 8. … The Phillies recalled LHP Austin Davis from Triple-A Lehigh Valley. Davis made his only major league appearance this season on April 21, throwing two scoreless innings against the Colorado Rockies.

UP NEXT

Royals: RHP Jakob Junis (3-3, 5.52 ERA) will start the series finale Sunday. Junis is coming off a 6-4 loss to Houston where he gave up three home runs and a season-high nine hits in 5 1/3 innings of work.

Phillies: LHP Cole Irvin is expected to make his major league debut Sunday. Irvin is 2-0 with a 2.25 ERA in six starts this season for Triple-A Lehigh Valley.

— Associated Press —

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Alex Gordon homered twice to drive in three runs, and the Kansas City Royals beat the Philadelphia Phillies 5-1 Friday night.

Homer Bailey (4-3) gave up one run and four hits in five-plus innings, and Scott Barlow struck out a career-high six in two innings of relief for the Royals. Jorge Soler added his team-leading 10th home run of the season.

Gordon’s second homer, a solo shot in the fifth inning, was the 1,500th hit of his career. It was also his fifth career multihomer game and first since August 20, 2016, when he hit two against Minnesota. He also homered in the bottom of the first inning, sending a two-run shot over the home bullpen in right field.

Bailey left after giving up back-to-back singles to lead off the sixth. Barlow came in and pitched around a one-out walk to strike out the side and leave the bases loaded, then struck out all three batters he faced in the seventh inning.

After giving up 10 runs in 10 innings over his first two starts, Bailey has allowed just 12 runs in his last six outings with a 3.48 ERA over 31 innings.

Jake Diekman worked his eighth consecutive scoreless outing, striking out two batters in the eighth inning and Ian Kennedy pitched a perfect ninth. The Royals’ bullpen threw four hitless innings and struck out eight.

Soler homered in the bottom of the sixth.

Phillies starter Jake Arrieta (4-3) also went five-plus innings, giving up four runs and seven hits. He allowed three home runs in a start for the first time since May 29, 2015, against the Royals. Gordon also went deep in that game.

Bryce Harper walked three times and scored Philadelphia’s only run of the game, coming home on Odubel Herrera’s RBI grounder in the fourth.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Phillies: Gabe Kapler said infielder Scott Kingery (right hamstring strain) could begin a minor-league rehab assignment on Monday. … Pitchers RHP David Robertson (right elbow soreness) and RHP Tommy Hunter (right forearm strain) played catch for first time Friday, but neither is close to a return to game action.

UP NEXT

Royals: RHP Brad Keller (2-3, 3.99 ERA) will make his first career start against the Phillies on Saturday. Keller pitched 5 1/3 innings Sunday, allowing two runs on six hits and taking a no-decision in a 5-2 loss to Detroit.

Phillies: RHP Zach Eflin (4-3, 3.00 ERA) will face the Royals for the first time.

— Associated Press —

HOUSTON (AP) — The first time Ryan O’Hearn ever talked to the Kansas City Royals about the possibility of one day playing for them it was at Minute Maid Park when he participated in a tournament here as a junior at nearby Sam Houston State.

In his return to the stadium on Tuesday night with 10 of his college teammates in the stands, he hit his first career grand slam to help the Royals to a 12-2 rout.

“I can’t really describe it,” he said. “I was thinking, I don’t remember the last time I hit a grand slam in the minor leagues or anything. I maybe had one before. But it was pretty cool to do it here. This isn’t really home but it kind of feels like home because I went to college here.”

Whit Merrifield added a grand slam and Danny Duffy (1-1) allowed six hits and two runs in 6 2/3 innings for his first win this season in his third start after missing the early part of the season with a shoulder injury.

Merrifield, who had four hits and finished a double shy of the cycle, tied a career high with five RBI. Jorge Soler added a solo homer as the Royals snapped a two-game skid and won just their fifth road game this season.

“O’Hearn has worked so hard and has struggled,” manager Ned Yost said. “A big grand slam in his home state is kind of cool. And Whit’s story from what he’s been able to accomplish since he’s been here has just been amazing.”

Kansas City led 2-0 in the third inning when O’Hearn hit his first career grand slam into the seats in right field off Collin McHugh (3-4) to push the lead to 6-0 and give the Royals their first grand slam this season. Billy Hamilton doubled with no outs in the fourth and Merrifield chased McHugh with his RBI single that left Kansas City up 7-0.

McHugh allowed seven hits — six for extra bases — and eight runs in three-plus innings to lose his third straight decision after winning his previous three. McHugh has allowed 24 hits and 25 runs in his past four starts, all Astros losses.

“Those games hurt today because nobody likes to get their teeth kicked in; they hurt furthermore because it cuts into your pen,” manager AJ Hinch said. “It’s concerning because we’ve tried to figure out how to get him right and get him back to being effective.”

Merrifield’s grand slam came off Framber Valdez with two outs in the seventh inning to make it 12-1 as the Royals had two grand slams in a game for the first time since 2004.

The Astros entered the game having hit 11 home runs in a three-game winning streak, but had trouble getting their offense going on Tuesday night. They had managed just two hits before Alex Bregman’s solo homer to left field with one out in the sixth inning made it 8-1.

Michael Brantley followed with a single, but Carlos Correa grounded into a double play to end the inning. Correa went 0 for 4 to end a career-long 16-game hitting streak.

Soler put the Royals up 1-0 in the second with his homer to straightaway center field off McHugh.

Merrifield tripled to start the third and scored on a double by Adalberto Mondesi to make it 2-0. Alex Gordon walked before Hunter Dozier grounded into a force out that left Gordon out at second before Soler walked to load the bases and set up O’Hearn’s slam.

Dozier started at third base on Tuesday for the first time since April 20 after serving as the team’s designated hitter for most of the past three weeks while dealing with tightness in his lower back. He hit an RBI triple with one out in the fourth to extend the lead to 8-0.

YOST’S MILESTONE

Tuesday’s win was Yost’s 700th with the Royals. He said he doesn’t take too much stock in milestones such as this one, but he does value every win as he tries to get the Royals back on track after last year’s 104-loss season.

“If this was about numbers I probably would have retired a couple years ago after we won a world championship or the year after,” he said. “It’s not. It’s about taking this organization back to a championship-caliber status.

“What keeps me going is I love the young players and I love working with (general manager) Dayton Moore. It’s special that we could accomplish 700 wins together and we’ll continue to try to accomplish as many more as we can.”

UP NEXT

Royals: RHP Jorge Lopez (0-3, 5.09 ERA) will start for Kansas City in the finale on Wednesday. Lopez allowed five hits and four runs in a season-high seven innings in a 4-3 loss to Detroit in his previous outing.

Astros: RHP Brad Peacock (2-2, 5.28) is scheduled to start on Wednesday for Houston. Peacock will look to bounce back after giving up eight hits and seven runs in 3 2/3 innings of an 8-2 loss to the Twins.

— Associated Press —

HOUSTON (AP) — George Springer, Carlos Correa and Robinson Chirinos each homered to lead the Houston Astros to a 6-4 win over the Kansas City Royals on Monday night.

Springer opened the first with his 11th home run of the season, including three leadoff drives. He added an RBI double in the eighth.

Correa had three hits. He opened the second by extending his hitting streak to a career-high 16 games with a home run.

Chirinos’ two-run drive in the sixth put the Astros back in front at 5-4.

Hunter Dozier hit a two-run homer in the Royals fourth. Adalberto Mondesi’s two-run homer in the fifth gave Kansas City a 4-3 lead.

Gerrit Cole (3-4) yielded four runs on seven hits with nine strikeouts in 6 1/3 innings. Hector Rondon got out of a bases-loaded jam in the eighth, thanks to a barehanded play by second baseman Jose Altuve on a soft chopper to get Kelvin Gutierrez at first and end the inning.

Roberto Osuna pitched the ninth for his eighth save.

Jakob Junis (3-3) allowed five runs on nine hits in 5 1/3 innings. The Royals have lost four of five.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, JOSE

Altuve turned 29 years old and the fans serenaded him with “Happy Birthday” to start the ninth inning. Altuve showed his appreciation by applauding the fans.

ROSTER MOVES

Royals: Recalled RHP Glenn Sparkman from Triple-A Omaha and optioned RHP Ben Lively to Omaha.

Astros: Optioned OF Derek Fisher to Triple-A Round Rock. Fisher served as the 26th man during the Astros’ two-game series in Mexico over the weekend.

UP NEXT

Royals: LHP Danny Duffy (0-1, 3.27 ERA) starts Tuesday, looking to build off his last outing in which he allowed one run in six innings against the Rays.

Astros: RHP Collin McHugh (3-3, 4.97) makes his eighth start of the season, trying to rebound after yielding four runs in six innings Wednesday in a loss to the Twins.

— Associated Press —

DETROIT (AP) — After being humiliated by the Kansas City Royals a day earlier, the Detroit Tigers were focused on redemption Sunday.

It came via one of the lesser-known members of the roster.

Journeyman Brandon Dixon, only in the majors due to a series of injuries, hit a three-run homer in the 10th inning to lift the Tigers over the Royals 5-2.

“That’s an unreal feeling,” Dixon said after his first career walkoff homer. “After yesterday, it felt so good to come around third and see the whole team waiting for me at the plate.”

The victory came less than 24 hours after the Tigers allowed 15 runs on 19 hits and 10 walks in a 15-3 loss.

“Obviously, that’s a game that can linger in the mind,” Tigers manager Ron Gardenhire said. “I told our guys to let it sting overnight, but once they threw the first pitch today, it had to be gone.”

Nicholas Castellanos started the 10th with an infield single off Ian Kennedy (0-1), and after Miguel Cabrera popped out, Niko Goodrum reached on another infield hit.

Ronny Rodriguez struck out, but Dixon hit a 1-2 curveball over the fence in right-center field.

“Kennedy was throwing fastballs on the corner, so I was really trying to protect the outside corner,” Dixon said. “But that curveball popped out of his hand, and I was able to get a good read on it.”

Kennedy wanted the ball in the dirt.

“I felt like the only bad pitch was that last curveball,” he said. “I meant to bounce it, but I didn’t think he would hit it out. I can’t remember the last time I gave up a homer on a curveball.”

Buck Farmer (2-2) got the win after retiring the last batter in the top of the 10th.

The Tigers led 2-1 going into the eighth and Joe Jimenez struck out the first two Royals, but Hunter Dozier hit his eighth homer over the right field wall to tie it.

Neither starter got a decision. Detroit’s Spencer Turnbull gave up one run in seven innings on six hits and a walk. He struck out seven.

“I felt really good with all my pitches today, and I felt like my slider was really good,” he said. “The best part was getting through seven for the first time this season.”

Brad Keller allowed two runs, six hits and five walks in 5 1/3 innings.

The Royals started the second inning with three straight hits, with Kelvin Gutierrez driving home Jorge Soler for a 1-0 lead. Turnbull escaped the inning without further damage.

JaCoby Jones led off the third with a double, Jeimer Candelario walked and Castellanos tied it with a single off Gutierrez’s glove at third. The Tigers still had runners on second and third with none out, but Keller struck out Cabrera and Goodrum before retiring Rodriguez to get out of the inning.

“Keller was really effective up in the zone today,” Yost said. “He was really, really good up there.”

Cabrera made it 2-1 with an RBI single in the fifth, and the Tigers loaded the bases with one out in the sixth. Scott Barlow replaced Keller and struck out Jones and Candelario.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Royals: 2B Chris Owings was out of the lineup for the second straight day. Owings is hitless in his last 13 at-bats and has gone 2 for 38 (.053) since a homer at Yankee Stadium on April 20.

Tigers: LF Christin Stewart (right quad strain) was scheduled to play his third rehab game for Class A Lakeland on Sunday. Stewart is expected to return to the Tigers lineup later this week.

TAKING ADVANTAGE OF MISTAKES

The Tigers were able to keep innings alive and score runs because of Gutierrez’s struggles at third base. He couldn’t flag down Castellanos’ RBI single in the third nor make clean plays on the two infield singles in the tenth.

“Two things we stress in this locker room are to catch the ball and to take advantage when the other team doesn’t,” Gardenhire said. “Nick and Niko were running hard on those plays and they turned them into a rally.”

UP NEXT

Royals: Travel to Houston to start a three-game series against the Astros on Monday. Jakob Junis (3-2, 5.12) is scheduled to start the opener for the Royals against Gerrit Cole (2-4, 3.95).

Tigers: Off on Monday before hosting former manager Brad Ausmus and the Los Angeles Angels in a three-game series beginning Tuesday. Daniel Norris (1-0, 3.47) is starting the opener against Griffin Canning (0-0, 6.23) of the Angels.

— Associated Press —