Royals dispatch Rangers 6-3
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Jeremy Guthrie pitched seven strong innings and the Kansas City Royals got home runs from Alex Gordon and Johnny Giavotella in a 6-3 victory over the Texas Rangers on Tuesday night.
Gordon broke a 2-all tie in the fifth with a two-run shot off Matt Harrison, the third home run he has allowed to a left-handed hitter this season.
After Salvador Perez’s run-scoring double with two outs, Harrison was replaced by Roy Oswalt. It was a rare short night for Harrison (15-9), who has pitched at least eight innings in eight starts. He fell to 10-5 away from home, tied with Tampa Bay ace David Price for the most road victories in the American League.
Harrison allowed five runs, three earned, and eight hits. The Royals scored a pair of unearned runs in the third after an error by second baseman Ian Kinsler.
Giavotella connected off Oswalt, ending a drought of 185 at-bats with his first home run since Sept. 3, 2011.
Guthrie (4-3) held the Rangers to two runs and five hits. He went 3-9 with Colorado before the Royals acquired him in a July 20 trade for Jonathan Sanchez.
After Josh Hamilton and Adrian Beltre started the ninth with singles off Kelvin Herrera, Greg Holland came on to earn his 11th save in 13 opportunities. Hamilton scored on Michael Young’s sacrifice fly.
Guthrie gave up a home run to Elvis Andrus in the first inning. Mitch Moreland’s double in the second scored Geovany Soto.
After giving up five hits to his first 10 batters, Guthrie did not allow another hit. Lorenzo Cain reached on Kinsler’s error in the third and scored on Alcides Escobar’s double, which snapped an 0-for-21 skid. Escobar went to third on Gordon’s groundout and scored on Billy Butler’s sacrifice fly.
NOTES: Japan committed to play in the 2013 World Baseball Classic, but Rangers RHP Yu Darvish was noncommittal about whether he will participate. Darvish refused to talk about the possibility, but instead issued a statement through the Rangers: “We’re in the middle of the season. I have no comment on the issue.” ... The Royals recalled RHP Jeremy Jeffress from Double-A Northwest Arkansas. Jeffress did not allow an earned run in 6 2-3 innings in two previous stints this season with Kansas City. ... 1B Eric Hosmer was held out of the Royals’ lineup. Hosmer is hitting .224 against left-handers, while Harrison had limited left-handed batters to a .189 average entering the game. ... Rangers C Mike Napoli, who went on the disabled list Aug. 11 with a strained quadriceps, ran on the field for the second consecutive day with cleats. If he has no soreness Wednesday, Napoli could try running the bases. ... LHP Everett Teaford will make a spot start Wednesday for the Royals. He is 3-2 with a 4.95 ERA in seven major league starts. The Rangers will counter with RHP Ryan Dempster.