Spark plug Burger helps Rangers beat Royals 6-4

KANSAS CITY — Jake Burger came off the bench and tied the game twice, with a homer and sacrifice fly, respectively, and the Texas Rangers also took advantage of nine walks allowed by the Kansas City Royals, to win 6-4 in 10 innings Wednesday night.

Ex-Royal Elias Diaz had a tiebreaking RBI single and Josh Jung drew a bases-loaded walk against Alex Lange (0-3) in the 10th as the Rangers evened the three-game set. But, Burger, stepping in after Joc Pederson left with a reported hip issue, delivered with two hits in a game that featured 27 runners left on base.

Royals starter Seth Lugo exited in the fourth inning after taking a line drive to the forehead off the bat of Texas’ Brandon Nimmo. Lugo was knocked to the ground but got up with a swollen bruise on his head. Nimmo ran over to check on his former teammate with the New York Mets, and Lugo walked on his own power to the dugout.

Jac Caglianone had four hits for the Royals, who loaded the bases against Jacob Latz (10 saves) in the 10th but failed to score.

Rangers starter MacKenzie Gore allowed eight hits and three walks, but only two runs, while striking out six in five innings for Texas.

Kansas City opened the scoring in the second. Caglianone lined an opposite-field double to left and scored on Isaac Collins’ blooped a two-out single.

Texas, though, took the lead with two runs in the fourth inning, when Nimmo’s liner knocked Lugo out of the contest.

With Mason Black on the mound, Wyatt Langford then singled, Ezequiel Duran was hit by a pitch and Evan Carter drew a bases-loaded walk — on a run charged to Lugo. After Kyle Higashioka struck out, the Rangers went ahead on Nicky Lopez’s RBI single.

Caglianone then tied the game at 2 in the fifth, when he delivered an RBI single. Collins doubled off the left-field wall and scored on Lane Thomas’ single to make it 3-2.

Burger then sent a Matt Strahm slider over the left-field wall in the seventh inning. The Royals, though, went ahead again in the bottom of the frame when Caglianone singled with two out and scored on Nick Loftin’s triple.

Burger came through again in the eighth with a tying sacrifice fly after Lucas Erceg loaded the bases with one out.