Vladimir Guerrero homers twice to lift Rangers over Royals 8-7

Guerrero homers twice to lift Rangers over Royals

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Vladimir Guerrero hit a pair of two-run homers and drove in five runs to help the Texas Rangers outslug the Kansas City Royals 8-7 Tuesday night.

Guerrero is hitting .444 with five home runs and 12 RBIs against the Royals this season. It was his 41st multihomer game and his second this season, both against the Royals.

Guerrero homered in the first and fifth innings and added an RBI double in the seventh.

Josh Hamilton and Nelson Cruz homered back-to-back in the fourth inning off Royals starter Gil Meche, who gave up four home runs in the first five innings after yielding only three in his first eight starts.

The Royals tied it at 6 with a three-run sixth to chase Rangers’ right-hander Rich Harden. Willie Bloomquist contributed a two-run triple on an 11 pitch at-bat off Harden and scored on Jason Kendall’s suicide squeeze bunt to tie the score.

Kendall also drove in a run in the third with a sacrifice fly, while Billy Butler had two doubles and a RBI for the Royals, who are 0-5 against the Rangers this year.

Darren O’Day (2-2) allowed one run on three hits in one inning after relieving Harden. Brad Thompson (0-3), the second of five Kansas City pitchers, lost after giving up two runs on two hits without retiring a batter.

Rookie Neftali Feliz worked the ninth for his 13th save in 15 opportunities.

Notes: Royals SS Yuniesky Betancourt left after five innings with dizziness after a third inning collision at the plate with Rangers C Matt Treanor. … Royals RF David DeJesus missed the game to attend the birth of his first child, David Kingston DeJesus Jr., in Kansas City. … The Rangers snapped a five-game road losing streak. … The Royals purchased the contract of IF Wilson Betemit from Triple-A Omaha, where he was hitting .265, and optioned RHP Bryan Bullington to the Pacific Coast League club.