Surging Rangers host flat Royals for four-game set

Texas Rangers manager Chris Woodward has seen his team's confidence build after it answered a season high-tying five-game losing skid with wins in 10 of its last 14 contests.

The Rangers look to continue their good fortune on Thursday when they begin an 11-game homestand with the opener of a four-game series against the Kansas City Royals.

"We feel like we should win," Woodward said as Texas rallied to an 8-7 victory over Seattle on Wednesday afternoon.

"We just keep fighting. That's a great thing, that your ballclub resembles that kind of fight, no quit, day game after a night game."

Nomar Mazara went 7-for-12 with a homer, two RBIs and five runs scored in the series against the Mariners. The 24-year-old also enjoyed a sterling series against Kansas City from May 14-16, going 7-for-13 with a pair of doubles and two runs scored.

Joey Gallo sat out the series finale versus Seattle as a precaution, but X-rays showed his wrist injury isn't significant in nature.

"If I were to bet, I'd say he'd probably play (Thursday)," Woodward said.

Texas left-hander Mike Minor (5-3, 2.55 ERA), who will get the nod in the series opener, deserved a better fate on Saturday after allowing one run on five hits in six innings of a no-decision against the Los Angeles Angels.

Minor has permitted just four runs in his last three starts, a stretch that began after yielding one run in five innings of a 6-1 win at Kansas City. The 31-year-old owns a 2-1 mark with a 3.52 ERA in four career starts against the Royals.

Kansas City right-hander Jakob Junis (3-5, 5.58) will provide the opposition on Thursday after yielding three runs on six hits in six innings of a no-decision against the New York Yankees on Saturday.

Junis, who is 0-3 in his last four trips to the mound, lost his lone start versus the Rangers after allowing three runs and four walks in six innings of a 3-2 setback on June 20, 2018.

The reeling Royals were on the wrong end of a sweep at the hands of the Chicago White Sox and have lost six of their last seven overall.

Kansas City was forced to dip into its bullpen early Wednesday after starter Glenn Sparkman was ejected in the second inning after his changeup hit the top of Chicago shortstop Tim Anderson's helmet. Anderson was plunked by the Royals back in April after he flipped his bat after hitting a home run.

"I've got to choose my words carefully," Royals manager Ned Yost said after his team's 8-7 setback. "As far as we're concerned, coming into this series, we had no animosity toward that young man. None. And to think we're going to hit him on purpose is ludicrous. And two, it was a changeup.

"(The April incident) was forgotten. He'd done his part, we'd done our part, it was over. Nothing. There was no ill-feeling or ill-will. It would be totally ignorant for us to hit him. We don't play like that. We're not like that. He got under a changeup and hit him in the helmet."

Nicky Lopez drove in three runs on Wednesday and Jorge Soler belted his career-high 13th homer.

Lopez went 5-for-11 with three doubles in the previous series versus Texas while Soler went 4-for-12 with a pair of doubles.

--Field Level Media