Chi Chi Gonzalez threw a three-hit shutout in his second major league start as the Texas Rangers beat the skidding Kansas City Royals 4-0 Friday night.
The Royals lost for the eighth time in 10 games, while the Rangers have won six of seven and 14 of 18 to move into second place in the AL West behind Houston.
Gonzalez (2-0), the Rangers' 2013 first-round draft pick out of Oral Roberts, has not allowed a run and yielded only five hits in 14 2-3 innings in his first two starts. He checked the Royals on three singles, walked two and struck out two.
Gonzalez worked around five walks in 5 2-3 innings to top Boston 8-0 on May 30 in his big league debut.
Mitch Moreland led off the Rangers' three-run sixth with a homer. Robinson Chirinos celebrated his 31st birthday with a two-run single to finish right-hander Edinson Volquez's night.
Volquez (4-4) gave up four runs and six hits, while striking out six and walking three in 5 1-3 innings.
Gonzalez, who retired 12 in a row after walking Lorenzo Cain in the first, did not allow a Royal to reach second base until the seventh. Eric Hosmer had an infield single and Kendrys Morales walked, but Alex Gordon grounded into an inning-ending double play.
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Delino DeShields led off the game with a triple and scored on Shin-Soo Choo's groundout.
TRAINER'S ROOM
Rangers: RHP Neftali Feliz (abscess near his right armpit) will begin a rehab assignment Saturday with Triple-A Round Rock. He is scheduled to throw an inning. . OF-IF Ryan Rua (right heel fracture) went 1 for 2 with a two-run homer and was hit by a pitch Thursday in his first rehab game with Round Rock at Reno.
Royals: RHP Kris Medlen (rehabbing from 2014 elbow surgery) will throw off the mound Sunday before returning to Arizona to continue to build up arm strength.
UP NEXT
Rangers: LHP Wandy Rodriguez will make his first June start after a Texas-best 3.22 ERA in May.
Royals: RHP Yordano Ventura gave up a season-high 10 hits, including two homers, in a May 13 loss at Texas.
