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Rangers rally in the ninth to beat Royals

May 30, 2011 - 1:34 AM Arlington, TX (Sports Network) - Elvis Andrus' single in the ninth scored Mike Napoli to give the Texas Rangers a 7-6 win over the Kansas City Royals to wrap up a three-game set.

In the bottom of the ninth with the Royals holding a 6-5 lead, Joakim Soria (3-2) promptly gave up a leadoff home run to Nelson Cruz to tie the game. Napoli singled to left, but Soria struck out the next two batters.

Andrus then singled to right and Napoli was waved home. The throw was there in plenty of time, but Napoli slid so that his foot touched home plate before Brayan Pena applied the tag to give the Rangers the win.

"I was just trying to go in and maybe kick the ball out or something. He tagged me up high and that was it," said Napoli.

Napoli finished the game 3-for-4 with a solo home run, two RBI and two runs scored, Michael Young hit a two-run homer and Ian Kinsler added a solo shot for the Rangers, who have won five of seven.

Alexi Ogano went six innings in the start and gave up five runs on seven hits while Arthur Rhodes (3-2) got the win for getting the final out of the ninth.

Pena hit a three-run home run while Wilson Betemit, Mitch Maier and Alcides Escobar all drove in a run for the Royals, who have dropped seven of eight. Danny Duffy was charged with three runs on five hits over six innings.

"You don't want to lose no matter what," said Maier. "But a game that we should have won, it makes it tough."

Napoli doubled home Young in the second and Kinsler hit his seventh home run of the season in the third to give the Rangers a 2-0 lead.

Kansas City surged ahead with a five-run fourth inning. Melky Cabrera singled to start the frame and Billy Butler later hit a one-out single. Betemit followed with a base hit that chased Cabrera home and Maier singled home Butler. Pena then hit his third home run of the year over the right field wall for a 5-2 advantage.

Napoli led off the Texas fifth with a shot to center to make it a 5-3 game.

Young tied the game for the Rangers in the eighth when he hit a liner over the wall in right, his third home run of the year, with Andres Blanco on base. But the Royals went back on top in the ninth on Escobar's sac fly that scored Chris Getz.

Game Notes

Kinsler was ejected for arguing after striking out to end the fifth inning...Kansas City, which is just 4-14 on the road, opens an 11-game homestand beginning on Monday against the Angels...Texas hits the road for a three-game series in Tampa starting Monday...Texas has taken six of eight from Kansas City this season.