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ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) -- The Texas Rangers' offense is potent enough without the 11 extra baserunners they got from the Kansas City Royals pitching staff. Rafael Palmeiro homered twice and drove in four runs as the Rangers handed the Royals their fifth consecutive defeat, 8-2 Tuesday night. The Rangers took advantage of nine walks, tying a season high for Royals pitching, and two hit batters to win for the fifth time in eight games. "Texas is a good-hitting team," Royals manager Tony Muser said. "You can't just keep putting runners on base." Palmeiro had the 25th multihomer game of his career and second of the season, giving him 413 career homers. Palmeiro is one short of tying Darrell Evans for 31st on the career list. "Sometimes it seems easy, but it's not," Palmeiro said. "But it's easier when you win and hopefully we can keep building on this. It's a lot more fun." Rick Helling (3-6) allowed two runs and seven hits in seven innings to win consecutive starts for the first time this season. He struck out five and didn't walk a batter. Helling has seen improved results over his last three starts because of a mechanical adjustment, lasting at least six innings in each of those games. "It's nice to see, especially since he's worked so hard on his mechanics," Rangers manager Jerry Narron said. "The last three outings, he's pitched as well as he has all season." The Royals (18-33) are off to their worst 51-game start in the 33-year history of the franchise. Texas took a 2-0 lead in the first against Mac Suzuki (2-4) when Alex Rodriguez drew a two-out walk and Palmeiro followed with a two-run blast. Suzuki allowed two runs and two hits and struck out four over four innings, but he walked five and hit two batters. Both dugouts were warned by home plate umpire Jerry Crawford in the third after Helling hit Hector Ortiz with a pitch. Suzuki had hit Frank Catalanotto and Andres Galarraga on consecutive at-bats leading off the second. Palmeiro did not think Sukuki intentionally tried to hit anyone. "He hadn't pitched in 10 days, that's what their catcher said," Palmeiro said. "But you've got to pitch inside to be successful in this game." Palmeiro hit a one-out bases-empty shot in the fifth off reliever Doug Henry for his 13th homer, and Galarraga added a run-scoring double later in the inning to extend Texas' lead to 4-1. Texas broke the game open with a four-run sixth. Michael Young had a sacrifice fly and Kansas City reliever Cory Bailey walked four in a row, including Palmeiro with the bases loaded, to make it 6-1. Gabe Kapler followed with a two-run single for an 8-1 lead. Henry allowed four runs over 1 1/3 innings. "I need to suck up those innings, keep us in the ballgame and I didn't do it," Henry said. "It's frustrating." Royals rookie Endy Chavez had a run-scoring single in the seventh, his first career hit, to narrow the Rangers' lead to 8-2. Chavez was called up from Double-A Wichita earlier in the day. Game notesPlay was suspended for 20 minutes in the middle of the fourth when about half the lights went out because of a power surge. ... Palmeiro improved to 4-for-9 lifetime with three home runs against Suzuki. ... Royals batting coach Lamar Johnson was ejected by Crawford after Johnson yelled at Crawford from the dugout in the bottom of the third. Johnson stormed onto the field and was so angry at Crawford that manager Tony Muser got between Johnson and the umpire. Johnson was still steaming from check-swing called third strike to Carlos Beltran in the top of the third. ... Kansas City's Rey Sanchez extended his hitting streak to 16 games with a sixth-inning single.  Send this story to a friend
| RECAPS Cleveland 6 Detroit 4
Texas 8
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