The host Texas Rangers scored four runs in the fourth and five in the sixth to beat the Kansas City Royals 9-4 in the opener of a three-game series Friday night.

The Rangers have now won three of their past five games after splitting a four-game series with the Athletics.

Down 1-0 coming into the fourth, Texas put up four against starter Mike Minor (6-5) who had only surrendered two hits up to that point.

Adolis Garcia opened the fourth with a walk then moved to second on a single by Joey Gallo.

Andy Ibanez then reached on an infield single that was fielded by a sliding Whit Merrifield, but his forced throw from second went wide allowing Garcia to tie the score.

Nate Lowe (3-for-4) then gave Texas the lead with a two-run triple to left which scored Gallo and Ibanez, later coming home on a single from Jonah Heim (3-for-4).

Merrifield had given the Royals the initial lead with a two-out triple which scored Nicky Lopez from first in the third inning.

In the fifth, Kansas City got one of the runs back on a two-out double from Carlos Santana which scored Lopez.

Minor gave up another big inning in the sixth and was pulled after giving up five straight hits without recording an out. With two on, Nick Solak singled in a run with Heim doubling in another. Charlie Culberson then doubled in a pair of runs to make it an 8-2 game.

Minor was charged with the ninth run of the game after reliever Carlos Hernandez gave up a sacrifice fly to Garcia. Minor went five-plus innings, giving up nine earned runs off 11 hits with two strikeouts.

Kansas City tagged on two runs in the top of the ninth on a two-out double from Michael A. Taylor that plated Jorge Soler and Hunter Dozier.

Dane Dunning (3-6) went five innings and got his first win in his past five decisions. Dunning gave up two runs off five hits with four strikeouts.

--Field Level Media