Rangers 4, Royals 2
Scott Feldman won his sixth straight decision with 7 2/3 strong innings and Josh Hamilton drove in a pair of runs as visiting Texas won its fourth straight.
Rookie Mike Olt added two RBIs for the Rangers, who clinched a win in the three-game series and extended its lead in the American League West to 5 1/2 games over the Oakland Athletics.
Feldman (6-6), who was kept in the rotation over Roy Oswalt when Texas added Ryan Dempster earlier in the week, was charged with two runs and six hits while walking one and striking out four. The right-hander has gone 3-0 with a 1.19 ERA in his last three turns.
The Rangers jumped on top in the third inning, getting hits from Ian Kinsler and Elvis Andrus to put runners on second and third in front of Hamilton. The struggling slugger reached out and blooped a 1-2 slider off Will Smith (2-4) into left to plate two.
Texas had a chance to tack on more runs in the third when Royals shortstop Alcides Escobar booted a ball, but third base coach Dave Anderson held up Hamilton at third, causing a logjam at second base that resulted in an inning-ending double play.
Olt added a sacrifice fly to make it 3-0 in the fourth before the Royals struck back, scoring twice in the fifth on RBI groundouts. Olt’s single in the sixth scored Michael Young for an insurance run.
Mike Adams came on to strike out Billy Butler ending the eighth inning and Alexi Ogando worked the ninth for his second straight save.
GAME NOTEBOOK: The Royals let go of first base coach Doug Sisson on Saturday and replaced him with Rusty Kuntz, who had been serving as a special assistant to general manager Dayton Moore. … Hamilton has hit in three straight games, recording six RBIs in that span. He hit .167 with 11 RBIs in the previous 23 contests. … Kansas City 3B Mike Moustakas (knee) returned to the lineup after missing Friday’s game and went 1-for-4. … Rangers closer Joe Nathan was given a second straight day off after being worked hard Wednesday and Thursday.