Texas Rangers vs Kansas City Royals Box Score on Jul 16, 2017

The Sports Xchange
Jul 16, 2017

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Lorenzo Cain singled to drive in the winning run with two outs in the ninth inning as the Kansas City Royals topped the Texas Rangers 4-3 on Sunday afternoon.

Cain's bases-loaded hit brought home Alex Gordon.

Jason Grilli (2-5), who was making his third Rangers appearance since being acquired from the Toronto Blue Jays, took the loss. He retired only two of the six batters he faced.

Kelvin Herrera (2-2) picked up the victory, working a 1-2-3 ninth.

Drew Butera scored an unearned run in the seventh inning as the Royals took a short-lived 3-2 lead.

After Butera singled with two outs, Whit Merrifield doubled to left, and when Nomar Mazara had trouble picking up the ball third base coach Mike Jirschele, waved Butera home.

The Rangers tied it in the eighth off Joakim Soria, who blew his seventh save in eight opportunities. Elvis Andrus doubled with two outs and scored on Mazara's single.

The Royals scored a run in the first but could have had more. Merrifield led off with a high chopper for an infield single and advanced to third on Jorge Bonifacio's single to right. Merrfield scored and Bonifacio went to second on Yu Darvish's wild pitch with Cain at the plate.

With one out, Darvish made a throwing error on a pickoff attempt of Bonifacio at second. Bonifacio advanced to third on the error. Eric Hosmer and Mike Moustakas, the Royals' cleanup and No. 5 hitters, failed to get him in. Hosmer popped up foul to third baseman Drew Robinson and Moustakas flied out to Mazara in left.

The Rangers tied it in the third on Robinson's home run to right with one out. Robinson drove a full-count Ian Kennedy pitch out to right.

The Royals regained the lead in the bottom of the inning when Moustakas' two-out double scored Hosmer.

Mike Napoli homered in the seventh off Kennedy to tie it at 2. Napoli took a 1-1 offering out to center for his 20th home run of the season.

Kennedy was removed a batter later after Jonathan Lucroy singled. Peter Moylan retired Carlos Gomez on a fielder's choice grounder to end the inning.

Kennedy permitted two runs and five hits in 6 2/3 innings. He struck out six, walked one and hit a batter, throwing 99 pitches.

Darvish allowed three runs (two earned) and eight hits while striking out six and walking one.

NOTES: Rangers 1B Joey Gallo, who has struck out seven times in as many at-bats vs. Royals RHP Ian Kennedy, was held out of the lineup. ... Royals 3B Cheslor Cuthbert begins a minor league rehab assignment Monday with Triple-A Omaha. He is on the disabled list with a sprained left wrist. ... Royals rookie IF Ramon Torres is hitless in his past 13 at-bats. .... The Rangers' bullpen has 17 blown saves, tied for second in the majors. ... Rangers RHP Andrew Cashner and Orioles RHP Chris Tillman are the probables Monday in Baltimore. The Royals continue their 10-game homestand against Detroit. Tigers RHP Jordan Zimmerman and Royals All-Star LHP Jason Vargas are the starters for the first game.