ARLINGTON (Interstat) — The Texas Rangers jumped to a four-run first inning and never looked back, cruising to a 9-1 victory over the Kansas City Royals on Friday night at Globe Life Park.

Texas starter MacKenzie Gore earned his fourth win of the season, allowing only one run over seven strong innings. Gore scattered five hits, walked two and struck out four, improving to 4-4. Kansas City starter Stephen Kolek took the loss, his first of the season after three wins, as the Royals fell to 22-35. The Rangers improved to 26-31 in front of 39,704 fans in a game that lasted 2 hours, 33 minutes.

The Rangers seized control immediately in the bottom of the first inning. After Joc Pederson walked, Josh Jung flew out, then Brandon Nimmo was called out on strikes following a successful challenge on a pitch result. Jake Burger followed with a double, putting runners at second and third. Ezequiel Duran singled to center, scoring both Pederson and Burger for a 2-0 lead. Evan Carter doubled to left, sending Duran to third, and Alejandro Osuna reached on a throwing error by second baseman Nick Loftin, allowing Duran to score and Carter to advance to third. Danny Jansen struck out, but the Rangers led 4-0 after one.

The Royals managed a threat in the top of the first against Gore, loading the bases with one out after Maikel Garcia singled and Salvador Perez doubled, but Starling Marte grounded out to end the inning.

Kansas City’s only run came in the ninth inning, when Garcia walked, Perez walked, and Vinnie Pasquantino singled to center, scoring Garcia. But the Royals could not add more, stranding two runners as Jac Caglianone struck out to end the game.

Texas added two runs in the fifth inning. Josh Jung led off with a double, and Brandon Nimmo followed with a home run to right field, his seventh of the season, extending the lead to 6-1. The Rangers added two more in the sixth when Danny Jansen walked and Nicky Lopez crushed a home run to right center, his first of the year, making it 8-1. Joc Pederson added a solo homer in the eighth, his seventh, to cap the scoring.

Key performances for Texas included Jake Burger, who went 2 for 4 with a double and a run scored. Josh Jung was 1 for 5 with a double. Alejandro Osuna went 1 for 4 with an RBI, and Nicky Lopez drove in two runs with his homer. Brandon Nimmo also had two RBIs on his homer. Joc Pederson was 1 for 4 with a homer and an RBI. On the mound, Tyler Alexander threw two-thirds of an inning of hitless relief, Jalen Beeks worked one inning allowing one hit and no runs, and Gavin Collyer pitched a one-inning stint allowing one hit and one earned run with two strikeouts.

For Kansas City, Maikel Garcia had two hits, Salvador Perez doubled, and Vinnie Pasquantino singled and drove in the team’s only run.

The Royals came into the game having lost three straight to the New York Yankees, including a 7-0 shutout Wednesday and a 15-1 blowout Tuesday. The Rangers had dropped four of their previous five, including a 5-1 loss to the Houston Astros on Thursday.

Interstat’s game simulator had projected a final score of Texas 4, Kansas City 3, with the Rangers given a 56.20 percent probability to win via its ELO system. Kansas City was installed as a pregame favorite with a spread of minus-1.5. The total of 10 runs went under the over-under line of 7.5.