ARLINGTON (Interstat) — Jack Leiter struck out 10 over 5 2/3 innings and the Texas Rangers scored four runs in the first inning to beat the Kansas City Royals 6-3 on Sunday afternoon at Globe Life Park, completing a three-game sweep.

Leiter allowed three hits and did not yield a run, lowering his ERA while improving to 3-4. Michael Wacha took the loss for Kansas City, falling to 4-3 after giving up six runs, five earned, over 3 2/3 innings. Jacob Latz earned his seventh save of the season with a scoreless ninth inning, allowing one hit and striking out one.

Texas seized control in the bottom of the first. After Joc Pederson flied out, Josh Jung doubled to left field. Brandon Nimmo struck out on a foul tip, then Jake Burger walked. Ezequiel Duran followed with a triple to left that scored Jung and Burger. Alejandro Osuna singled to right, driving in Duran. Kyle Higashioka doubled to center, scoring Osuna to make it 4-0. Nicky Lopez struck out to end the inning.

The Rangers added two more in the fourth. Higashioka led off with a single, Lopez singled, and Michael Helman sacrificed them to second and third. After an intentional walk to Pederson, Jung singled to left, scoring both Higashioka and Lopez to push the lead to 6-0. Nimmo flied out and Burger walked but Duran grounded into a force out to end the threat.

Kansas City’s offense struggled against Leiter, who struck out the side in the second, third and fifth innings. The Royals did not have a hit until the fourth, when Jac Caglianone singled with two outs. Leiter stranded him after striking out Isaac Collins. The Royals managed only one hit over the first six innings.

Kansas City finally broke through in the seventh off reliever Jalen Beeks. Michael Massey led off with a bunt single. Nick Loftin sacrificed Massey to second. Lane Thomas, pinch-hitting for Kyle Isbel, singled to left to score Massey, cutting the deficit to 6-1. Carter Jensen singled to center, putting runners on first and third. After a groundout that advanced Jensen to second, Vinnie Pasquantino struck out to end the inning.

The Royals rallied again in the eighth against Gavin Collyer. Salvador Perez was hit by a pitch but was erased on a double play. Isaac Collins walked, and Massey hit his fourth home run of the season to right-center field, scoring Collins and making it 6-3. Nick Loftin walked, but Lane Thomas flied out to end the inning.

Texas’s bullpen held firm after that. Peyton Gray retired the side in the seventh after taking over for Beeks, and Latz worked around a double by Bobby Witt Jr. in the ninth, getting Pasquantino to fly out and Perez to ground out to end the game.

Nicky Lopez went 2 for 4 for Texas. Jake Burger went 1 for 2 with two walks and a double. Michael Helman went 1 for 2. Osuna had one hit and one RBI. Josh Jung added two hits and three RBIs.

For Kansas City, Massey had two hits, including the homer. Thomas had one hit and one RBI. Witt doubled in the ninth. The Royals totaled eight hits and grounded into two double plays. Texas also hit into two double plays.

The game drew an announced crowd of 33,587 and lasted 2 hours, 38 minutes.

The Rangers improved to 28-31, while the Royals dropped to 22-37. Kansas City has lost five straight games and seven of its last eight. Texas has won three in a row and five of its last seven.

The two teams will meet again June 9-11 in Kansas City. Texas travels to St. Louis on Monday, while Kansas City heads to Cincinnati.

Interstat’s game simulator projected a final score of Texas Rangers 4, Kansas City Royals 2. Interstat’s ELO system had projected Texas with a 57.40 percent probability to win. Kansas City had been installed as a pregame favorite with a spread of -1.5. The total score of 9 went under the over/under line of 7.5.