In a matchup of struggling offenses, the Texas Rangers broke out at the plate Friday to build some needed confidence and potential momentum.

Following one of their most dominant performances of the season, the Rangers will try to hand the visiting Kansas City Royals a fifth straight defeat when the teams meet Saturday afternoon at Arlington, Texas.

Texas had totaled 23 runs while losing six of its previous seven contests before rolling to a 9-1 victory over Kansas City in Friday’s series opener. Five games under .500, the Rangers haven’t won two games in a row since May 19-20.

“I think that with a good stretch of baseball, we could put ourselves in a very good position,” Rangers president of baseball operations Chris Young told the team’s official website.

While MacKenzie Gore allowed four hits over 6 1/3 scoreless innings Friday, Ezequiel Duran’s two-run single highlighted a four-run first inning that essentially put the game away.

Brandon Nimmo and Nicky Lopez each hit a two-run homer, and Joc Pederson also went deep for the Rangers, who posted 10 hits to match their total from losing the previous two games.

“Keep fighting,” Duran told the Rangers Sports Network. “Try to win the game.”

Duran, stepping in at shortstop while star Corey Seager remains out with a lower-back injury, is 6-for-14 with four RBIs in the last four games. Pederson, meanwhile, has hit four of his seven home runs this season in the last four contests.

Pederson is just 2-for-19 in his career against Saturday’s scheduled Kansas City starter, right-hander Seth Lugo (2-4, 3.74 ERA), but one of those hits was a home run.

Lugo, who is 1-0 with a 2.03 ERA in three career appearances vs. Texas, was strong in his only two previous starts against Rangers. In 12 1/3 combined innings in those outings last season, the veteran allowed three runs and six hits while striking out 14.

Now, Lugo will eye a third straight quality start after he yielded three runs over 6 1/3 innings in an 8-6 victory against Seattle on Sunday to earn his first winning decision since his season debut.

However, if Lugo is to have a chance at another win, his Royals teammates must find a way to score.

A loser in 14 of its last 17 games, Kansas City has only five runs during its four-game skid. It also hasn’t helped that the Royals have allowed 31 runs and 42 hits, including 10 homers, in the last three games.

“There’s frustration,” Royals star Salvador Perez told the club’s official website. “We need to prove that we’re better. We need to figure it out. We’ve got to win some games.”

Kansas City’s Maikel Garcia had two hits Friday and is 10-for-28 in the last seven games. However, teammate and Dallas-area native Bobby Witt Jr. is 0-for-8 in the last two games and is batting .191 over the last 12.

The Royals will get their first look at scheduled Rangers starter Kumar Rocker (2-5, 3.96 ERA) on Saturday.

After throwing 12 2/3 scoreless innings in his previous two outings, the right-hander gave up four runs, four hits and three walks in five innings of Monday’s 9-0 loss to Houston.

–Field Level Media

The Boston Red Sox hit a season low Friday night with 4-3 road loss to the Cleveland Guardians. The setback dropped Boston 10 games below .500 for the first time in 2026.

Boston (23-33) will attempt to start moving in a positive direction when it faces Cleveland in the second game of the three-game series Saturday afternoon. The Red Sox will look to match the one bright spot from Friday — the performance by Brayan Bello, who entered the game in the second inning and pitched seven scoreless innings.

The Guardians scored their four runs in the first inning against Tyler Samaniego, who was used as an opener before Bello entered the game.

“(Bello) was awesome,” Boston interim manager Chad Tracy said. “And obviously, the way it started he came in and quieted that game down pretty quickly and gave us a shot. Just pounded the strike zone. … He was as good as you could ask for.

“Ultimately having him be that way in a starter role would be awesome. We’re still trying. Obviously, we’ve had some of those (games with an opener) where we haven’t gotten off to the best start and he comes in trailing. Credit our guys for battling back again.”

Boston has lost six of its past seven games. It’s the first time the Red Sox have been 10 games below .500 since the 2020 season.

Saturday’s game will feature an excellent pitching matchup. Rookie left-hander Parker Messick (6-1, 2.24 ERA) will start for Cleveland and will oppose Boston right-hander Sonny Gray (5-1, 3.27).

Messick, 25, has allowed no more than three earned runs in 10 of his 11 starts this season. He has 108 strikeouts and 25 walks in 18 career starts (104 innings), including in 2025.

According to MLB.com, only two Cleveland pitchers have had more strikeouts through 18 starts: Herb Score (139) and Danny Salazar (112). Shane Bieber also had 108 strikeouts in 18 starts.

“It’s really cool company to be in,” Messick said. “But at the same time, if I want to stay in that same category, I’ve just gotta go out there and keep doing it. So whatever I can do to keep doing that.”

Messick has one career appearance against the Red Sox, a no-decision last Sept. 4 in a 6-4 loss. He allowed three runs on nine hits in 3 2/3 innings.

Cleveland is 9-2 in games he’s started this season.

“It doesn’t matter who he’s pitching against,” manager Stephen Vogt said. “He’s just gonna go attack.”

Gray is 7-5 with a 3.20 ERA in 20 career appearances (all starts) against the Guardians, leaders of the American League Central.

Gray, 36, struggled with his command in his last start, a no-decision in a 6-5 loss to Minnesota on Sunday. He was pulled after four innings and gave up three runs on six hits, walked two batters and hit another.

Cleveland played without outfielder Steven Kwan on Friday. He was placed on the bereavement/family medical emergency list and is expected to miss the entire three-game series.

“Obviously our thoughts are with Kwany and his family as they’re going through their situation,” Vogt said. “We’re going to miss Steven this weekend.”

–Field Level Media

Bryan Reynolds is on a torrid hitting stretch as the Pittsburgh Pirates host the Minnesota Twins on Saturday afternoon.

Reynolds’ two-run walk-off homer on Friday extended his hitting streak to seven games and spared the Pirates from a three-game losing streak.

The Twins, who have dropped three in a row, will turn to right-hander Bailey Ober (6-2, 3.92 ERA) on Saturday.

Until Reynolds delivered with his 422-foot blast over the wall in left field, the Pirates were held scoreless for five innings. Reynolds has had four multi-hit games during his hot streak and is hitting .500 (12-for-24) with two home runs and five RBIs during his last seven games.

“It’s like a movie,” Reynolds said after the game, when asked what it’s like to round the bases after a walk-off home run. “It’s pretty sick.”

The hit salvaged a 6-5 victory for Pittsburgh in Jared Jones’ return to its rotation 20 months after his last start in the majors. Right-hander Mitch Keller (5-2, 3.64 ERA) will try to follow up as he looks to build off a quality start last Sunday against Toronto.

Keller, who is 2-0 with a 1.50 ERA in three career starts against the Twins, gave up one run on four hits with three walks and struck out five over six innings to help the Pirates secure a 4-1 win.

It was a much-needed performance for Keller after he had surrendered a combined 10 earned runs in his two prior starts.

Ober will try to give Minnesota some length after the Twins’ bullpen was tested in Friday’s loss.

With Taj Bradley going only four innings while making his return from injury, five Minnesota relievers combined to keep Pittsburgh scoreless from the fourth inning on until Reynolds’ heroics.

Bradley was making only his second start since returning to the rotation and threw 87 pitches.

Taylor Rogers surrendered the Reynolds’ home run. It was the first run Rogers allowed in nine appearances. It was his first blown save since Sept. 23 of last year.

“All the bullpen guys doing well… to kind of go wreck that, it stinks a little extra,” Rogers said.

The Twins placed rookie lefty starter Kendry Rojas on the 15-day injured list before the game after he was scratched from Thursday’s start with left elbow soreness. Minnesota optioned righty reliever Travis Adams to Triple-A St. Paul, and recalled lefty Kody Funderburk. Cody Lawyerson, who was reinstated from the injured list Friday, pitched a scoreless eighth inning.

Ober gave up four runs on seven hits — including two home runs — and struck out three over five innings last Sunday in a rain-soaked 6-5 win at Boston. The Twins have won Ober’s past three starts and four of his last five.

Ober will make only his second start against the Pirates. He gave up four runs in 4 2/3 innings in that prior encounter on June 9, 2024.

To make room for Jones on their roster, the Pirates designated reliever Justin Lawrence for assignment.

–Field Level Media