Joey Gallo and Robinson Chirinos each homered twice to back a season-high eight innings from Cole Hamels and the Texas Rangers beat the Kansas City Royals 6-2 on Friday night.
Gallo's first homer was a tiebreaking two-run shot in the second inning on a 3-0 pitch -- a liner that matched teammate Carlos Gomez for the longest in the majors this season at 462 feet and was the hardest with an exit velocity of 116 mph, according to MLB's statcast.
The smash plunked Rick's Popcorn Wagon on a bounce on the concourse behind the lower-deck seats down the line in right field.
The team-leading fifth of the season for Gallo -- a solo homer in the fifth -- was a high flyball that landed in the upper deck in right-center field.
Like Gallo, Chirinos homered in his first two at-bats for his second and third of the season. The first solo shot was halfway up the seats above the 14-foot wall in left field, the second to the back of the Kansas City bullpen in left-center.
All four homers came against Nate Karns (0-1), facing his hometown team for the fourth time. The right-hander allowed six runs in 4 2/3 innings, losing for the first time since last June in Texas when he was with Seattle.
Hamels (1-0) retired 12 straight from the first to fifth innings for the left-hander's first decision after leaving his previous three starts in position for the win. He threw a season-high 107 pitches, allowing three hits and one run with three strikeouts.
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A night after losing 1-0 in 13 innings, the Royals had a run within the first two batters on Lorenzo Cain's RBI double before the lowest-scoring offense in the majors fizzled again.
TRAINER'S ROOM
Rangers: RHP A.J. Griffin was scratched from his Saturday start and placed on the 10-day disabled list with inflammation in his left ankle caused by gout. The Rangers didn't immediately announce a roster move or a replacement. ... OF Josh Hamilton was released from his minor league contract after injuring his right knee while working on his recovery from left knee surgery. The 2010 AL MVP is facing his 12th surgery, perhaps signaling the end of his career. He turns 36 next month.
UP NEXT
Royals: RHP Ian Kennedy (0-2, 2.37 ERA) pitched eight scoreless innings, but didn't get decision in a 1-0 win over the Los Angeles Angels in his last start.
Rangers: Will use their sixth different starter to fill in for Griffin, with RHP Nick Martinez a likely candidate on a call-up from Triple-A Round Rock.
