Texas Rangers starting pitcher Nathan Eovaldi throws during the first inning of the team’s baseball game against the Kansas City Royals in Arlington, Texas, Wednesday, April 12, 2023. (AP Photo/LM Otero)
MJ Melendez drove in three runs to back another strong outing from Brad Keller, and the Kansas City Royals avoided a three-game sweep with a 10-1 rout of the Texas Rangers on Wednesday night.
The Rangers had their second three-game winning streak of the season stopped on the day they announced star shortstop Corey Seager would miss at least four weeks with a hamstring strain.
Watch NBC 5 free wherever you are
WATCH HEREVinnie Pasquantino homered, and Bobby Witt Jr. had an RBI triple among three hits with a career-high three stolen bases against his hometown team as the Royals ended a three-game losing streak.
The Royals, who came in hitting .190 as a team and averaging 2.8 runs per game, had season highs in runs and hits (14).
Get top local stories in DFW delivered to you every morning with NBC DFW's News Headlines newsletter.
SIGN UP Keller (2-1) didn't allow a run after giving up Nathaniel Lowe's first-inning homer, leaving after his two-out walk in the seventh ended a streak of 10 consecutive batters retired.
The right-hander, who gave up three hits and struck out seven in 6 2/3 innings, has half of Kansas City's four victories without allowing more than two runs in any of his three starts.
It was Keller's 18th consecutive start with a decision, the longest streak in the majors in three years and longest for the Royals since Tim Belcher's 21-start streak in 1996-97.
Texas Rangers
Melendez lined a tiebreaking two-run double into the gap in right-center for a 3-1 lead in the second and an RBI single in the fourth before scoring on Witt's triple into the right field corner.
Nathan Eovaldi (1-2), one of three free agent additions to the Texas rotation, allowed 10 hits and six runs with seven strikeouts and a pitch clock violation over five innings in a second consecutive loss.
Josh Smith started in place of Seager, who was injured running the bases a night earlier, and went 0 for 3 with two strikeouts from the second spot in the order normally occupied by the three-time All-Star.
Franmil Reyes, Michael Massey and Edward Olivares had consecutive run-scoring singles off reliever Taylor Hearn in Kansas City's punctuating four-run seventh.
UP NEXT
Both teams are off Thursday going into three-game weekend series. Kansas City RHP Brady Singer (1-0, 4.91 ERA) is scheduled to face Atlanta at home. Texas LHP Martín Pérez (1-1, 2.53) is set for the first meeting of the season with Houston.
