ARLINGTON, Texas (Interstat) — MacKenzie Gore pitched 6 1/3 shutout innings as the Texas Rangers defeated the Kansas City Royals 9-1 on Friday night at Globe Life Park.

Gore allowed four hits and struck out three, improving to 4-4 on the season. The Rangers scored four runs in the first inning, with Ezequiel Duran delivering a two-run single and later scoring on an error. Brandon Nimmo added a two-run homer in the fifth, his seventh of the year. Nicky Lopez hit his first home run of the season, a two-run shot in the sixth.

Stephen Kolek took the loss for Kansas City, falling to 3-1 after allowing four earned runs on six hits over five innings. The Royals avoided the shutout with a run in the ninth on Vinnie Pasquantino’s RBI single. Kansas City managed six hits total.

Texas, which improved to 26-31, had 10 hits. The Rangers bullpen held the Royals scoreless after Gore departed. Attendance was 39,704, and the game lasted 2 hours, 33 minutes.