Zack Greinke pitched six solid innings for the host Royals as they salvaged the final game of a three-game series in Kansas City with a 2-1 victory over the Texas Rangers on Wednesday.
The game was briskly played in 2:18.
Greinke (2-4) made his 500th career start, the 48th pitcher in Major League Baseball history to reach that milestone. He is the only active pitcher to do so.
Kyle Isbel hit his second home run of the season — second in as many games — to provide the winning run.
Greinke allowed one run on four hits through six innings. He walked one and struck out three. He worked around plenty of traffic, as he only had two 1-2-3 innings.
Scott Barlow picked up his 10th save in 12 chances with a perfect ninth inning. Three Royals relievers combined for just one hit allowed, with three strikeouts.
Dane Dunning (1-6) allowed just two runs on six hits through six innings, but he was saddled with the loss. He walked three and struck out three. It’s his first loss this season when allowing fewer than three runs.
The Royals got a run in the first on an RBI single by MJ Melendez. The Royals loaded the bases with two outs before Melendez blooped one to short center. Hunter Dozier was thrown out at the plate trying to score from second.
The Rangers tied it in the fifth on a leadoff home run by Leody Taveras, his first of the season. He took a 2-2 pitch just over the wall in right.
The Royals came right back in the bottom of the inning when Isbel lined one into the seats in right field.
Greinke was drafted in the first round (sixth overall) by the Royals in the 2002 draft and spent the first seven years of his career in KC. He returned this offseason on a one-year contract.
–Field Level Media