Lowe has 4 hits as Rangers beat Royals 15-4

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Nathaniel Lowe had four hits and two RBIs, and the Texas Rangers beat the Kansas City Royals 15-4 on Saturday night.

Lowe went 4 for 6 one night after going hitless in four at bats in Texas' 7-1 loss. It was his first four-hit game since last July 14.

“I guess it was just my turn in the grand pendulum of the swing of baseball," Lowe said. “It was great to have so many guys contribute. We got smoked last night, so it was good to come back tonight.”

Adolis García, Evan Carter and Travis Jankowski also drove in two runs each. Carter scored on a wild pitch after a two-run triple in the third inning. Garcia extended his hitting streak to six games, and Carter had two hits to extend his hit streak to five games.

The Rangers totaled a season-high 17 hits and set a season-high in runs against the team entering the game with the highest run differential in the majors.

Texas had three three-run innings and a five-run ninth to hand Kansas City its worst loss of the season. Two-runs scored on a wild pitch by Colin Selby and a throwing error to third base on the same play to cap a three-run seventh. Joe Smith, Jankowski, Marcus Semien, Leody Taveras and Ezequiel Duran had RBIs in the ninth.

“It was good to see everyone do something to help in the cause," Texas manager Bruce Bochy said. ”We got shut down the night before the guys came out and put together great at-bats it is good for their confidence. ... Everyone did something tonight."

Dane Dunning pitched 4 2/3 innings, giving up two runs and four hits. Dunning had limited the Royals to just one hit through the first four innings.

Josh Sborz (1-0) pitched one inning of relief to get the win.

Michael Wacha (1-4) pitched a season-low 3 2/3 innings, allowing a season-high seven runs and nine hits with one walk and three strikeouts.

“Obviously looked like some missed locations tonight," Royals Manager Matt Quatraro said. "You have to tip your cap to them as well.”

Hunter Renfroe put the Royals on the board with a two-run single to left field with two outs in the fifth. Bobby Witt Jr. recorded his 11th stolen base of the season, which leads the American League.

Vinnie Pasquantino and Garrett Hampson each drove in a run, and Michael Massey had three hits to extend his hitting streak to seven games.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Rangers: Wyatt Langford exited the game in the fifth inning with right hamstring tightness. Langford was 0 for 3.

Royals: RHP Alec Marsh (right elbow contusion) is scheduled to make a rehab start with Triple-A Omaha on May 5. The Royals put Marsh on the 15-day injured list on April 25, making him eligible to return on May 10.

UP NEXT

Jon Gray (1-1, 2.48 ERA) will start the series finale for Texas. Daniel Lynch IV (0-0, 0.00 ERA) will make his season debut for Kansas City.

AP MLB: https://www.apnews.com/hub/MLB

Kansas City Royals pitcher Michael Wacha delivers to a Texas Rangers batter during the first inning of a baseball game in Kansas City, Mo., Saturday, May 4, 2024. (AP Photo/Colin E. Braley)

Kansas City Royals' Nelson Velázquez (17) is congratulated at home plate by Kyle Isbel (28) after scoring off a two-run single by Hunter Renfroe (16) during the fifth inning of a baseball game against the Texas Rangers in Kansas City, Mo., Saturday, May 4, 2024. (AP Photo/Colin E. Braley)

Texas Rangers pitcher Dane Dunning delivers to a Kansas City Royals batter during the first inning of a baseball game in Kansas City, Mo., Saturday, May 4, 2024. (AP Photo/Colin E. Braley)

Texas Rangers third baseman Josh Smith catches a popup from Kansas City Royals' MJ Melendez during the third inning of a baseball game in Kansas City, Mo., Saturday, May 4, 2024. (AP Photo/Colin E. Braley)

Kansas City Royals starting pitcher Michael Wacha (52) hands the ball to manager Matt Quatraro, left, as he is taken out of the baseball game during the fourth inning against the Texas Rangers in Kansas City, Mo., Saturday, May 4, 2024. (AP Photo/Colin E. Braley)

Texas Rangers' Jonah Heim (28) celebrates with Evan Carter, right, after scoring off a Nathaniel Lowe single during the fourth inning of a baseball game against the Kansas City Royals in Kansas City, Mo., Saturday, May 4, 2024. (AP Photo/Colin E. Braley)

Texas Rangers Adolis García hits an RBI single during the fourth inning of a baseball game against the Kansas City Royals in Kansas City, Mo., Saturday, May 4, 2024. (AP Photo/Colin E. Braley)

Texas Rangers' Nathaniel Lowe watches his two-run single during the fourth inning of a baseball game against the Kansas City Royals in Kansas City, Mo., Saturday, May 4, 2024. (AP Photo/Colin E. Braley)

NORTH WILKESBORO, N.C. (AP) — NASCAR is hoping a repaved track and some softer tires will make for more competitive short track racing for Sunday night’s All-Star race at North Wilkesboro Speedway.

It can’t get much worse than last year.

After months of hype leading up to the first race at the renovated track since 1996, the All-Star race turned out to be a snoozer, with Kyle Larson running away with the victory and the $1 million prize. He was in front for 145 of 200 laps and at times led by nearly 11 seconds, or more than half of a lap on the .625-mile short track.

That caused Larson to boast afterward “that was an old school (butt)-whipping, for sure.”

And it didn’t make for compelling television.

But William Byron is optimistic that this year’s race will be much closer, with NASCAR experimenting with softer tires on the short track in what has been a rain-soaked weekend at North Wilkesboro.

“This place is so different and unique, we almost need a couple more practices to get everyone closer," Byron said. "I think there will be a lot of comers and goers, and the gaps will be closer because the pace is up and there is less falloff. But I still think it will be tough to complete the passes.”

Larson is still hoping to race Sunday night after spending the week preparing for the Indianapolis 500.

In the meantime, Kevin Harvick came out of retirement to drive Larson's No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet during practice, something he never anticipated happening.

“It’s definitely not the attire that I thought I would be wearing this year," Harvick quipped as he wore the Hendrick Motorsports fire suit.

But Harvick, who now works in the broadcast booth, said it has been a fun week.

His former employer, Stewart-Haas Racing, even helped out by sending the seats and seat rails Harvick used while he was racing for it so he would fit better.

“Sometimes there are phone calls that you react to different than others,” Harvick said. “When Rick (Hendrick) called and said what he needed and I said, ‘OK,’ everyone at Fox was kind enough to let us take the day to do what we needed to do.”

Chase Elliott said he's intrigued by NASCAR's experiment next year with an in-season bracket-style tournament, similar to what the NBA did this season.

“It sounds interesting, especially starting at Atlanta (Motor Speedway) with it now being a speedway thing,” Elliott said. "But yeah, I think it has potential to add some excitement to our year and doing something a little different. I don’t have any issues with that.”

There could be some bad blood this weekend between Chris Buescher and Tyler Reddick. Buescher went after Reddick on pit lane after last week's race at Darlington, where Reddick drove him into the wall, ruining his chances of winning the race.

"When you are racing for the win, you are racing for the win," Reddick said. “In that moment I was trying to think how I could take my car that was in second place to first place.”

Reddick explained that "the obvious thing is I drove in so deep that I needed the entire racetrack. I didn't have enough tire left to keep the outside lane open. So I'm just trying to learn for next time.”

Denny Hamlin is a 19-4 favorite to win the All-Star race, a slight favorite over the three-time champion Larson, according to BetMGM.

AP Motorsports: https://apnews.com/hub/auto-racing

FILE - Kyle Larson (5) celebrates in Victory Lane after winning the NASCAR All-Star Cup Series auto race at North Wilkesboro Speedway, Sunday, May 21, 2023, in North Wilkesboro, N.C. (AP Photo/Matt Kelley, File)