ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) Ronald Guzman homered in his fourth straight start and drove in three runs, leading the Texas Rangers over the Kansas City Royals 8-4 on Friday night.
The rookie first baseman finished 2 for 4, including his sixth home run of the season. Guzman started three games against the New York Yankees earlier this week and homered in each, but struck out as a pinch-hitter against the Royals on Thursday night.
Nomar Mazara also had a homer and three RBIs for Texas, which has won three of the first five games of a seven-game homestand.
Mike Minor (4-3) gave up home runs to Mike Moustakas and Jorge Soler, but earned the victory that ended Kansas Citys season-best three-game winning streak. Minor allowed four runs and seven hits in six innings. Keone Kela retired Salvador Perez on a fly-out with the bases loaded for his 11th save in as many opportunities.
Royals lefty Eric Skoglund (1-5) allowed three home runs, all to left-handed batters. Shin-Soo Choo hit a solo homer in the first inning, Guzman gave the Rangers their first lead with a two-run shot in the fourth and Mazara added his 12th of the season in the fifth.
Moustakas had given the Royals a 2-0 lead in the top of the first with his 11th home run, a liner to right field.
Choo brought Texas within a run in the bottom of the inning with a line-drive homer into the corner of the right-center field bullpen.
The Rangers tied it in the third when Delino DeShields led off with a triple and scored as Mazara beat a double-play relay to first base on what would have been the third out.
Solers two-out solo homer in the top of the fourth restored Kansas Citys lead at 3-2.
With two outs in the bottom of the fourth, Guzman hit a two-run homer, a towering fly ball into the right-field seats, to put Texas ahead for the first time at 4-3.
