Another big inning gives Royals 7-1 win over Rangers

Keep. The. Line. Moving.

The Royals have been the masters of the big inning this year, and they kept that going with a six-run seventh inning, capped off by a huge home run by Salvador Perez to defeat the Rangers 7-1 on Friday evening.

The Rangers struck first off starter Brady Singer with an RBI single by Corey Seager in the third. Texas starter Michael Lorenzen retired the first seven hitters he faced and kept the Royals scoreless until the fifth, when Hunter Renfroe smacked a solo home run, his third of the season to tie it at 1-1.

Singer was able to grit his way through six innings and 105 pitches, striking out eight without a walk. It was his fourth start this year going 5+ innings with only one run allowed. John Schreiber entered the game in the seventh and found trouble. He erased a leadoff walk on a ground ball double play, but gave up two flairs for singles. Leody Taveras lofted a line drive down the left field line that caromed off the wall just a foot or two into foul territory that could have scored two runs. Schreiber would walk Taveras to load the bases, but escaped the jam by striking out Marcus Semien.

That set up the big inning for the Royals. MJ Melendez led off with a single off reliever Cole Winn, and pinch-runner Dairon Blanco advanced to second on a delayed steal. Kyle Isble singled to plate him and give the Royals the lead. That began a streak of four consecutive singles - Maikel Garcia, Bobby Witt Jr. and Vinnie Pasquantino all reached safely, scoring two more runs.

That set up the ageless wonder, eight-time All-Star Salvador Perez. Fresh off a sensational April where he was named Royals Player of the Month, Salvy continued his hot hitting in the month of May. He blasted a three-run home run, his eighth of the season, extending his league-leading RBI total to 30.

When the dust settled, the Royals had six runs on six hits in the seventh inning alone. Angel Zerpa pitched a scoreless eighth and Colin Selby became the 1,000th player to appear in a game in Royals history, tossing a 1-2-3 ninth inning on just nine pitches.

The Royals face the Rangers again tomorrow evening at 6:10 CT with Michael Wacha scheduled to face Dane Dunning.