KANSAS CITY, Mo. — With the Texas Rangers' defense committing three errors in the first three innings, Cole Hamels had to pitch out of some dangerous situations.
Hamels allowed one unearned run in 5 1/3 innings, Nomar Mazara and Adrian Beltre homered and the Rangers defeated the Kansas City Royals 7-4 on Saturday night.
Hamels, who is 6-1 with a 2.24 ERA in his past nine starts, limited the Royals to five hits, struck out four and walked three. Hamels (11-2) lowered his ERA to 2.87, which is tied for third in the American League.
"A gritty performance," Rangers manager Jeff Banister said. "Obviously, we made it challenging for him with some of the misplays, but he was able to cover them up."
The Rangers picked up only their fifth victory in 20 games. Hamels has started three of those victories.
"It's not too cool here right now," Hamels said of the weather, which had a heat index of 104 degrees for the first pitch. "You just try to stay cool. The other guy has got to do it, too. It's just a matter of trying to outlast your opponent. They're a good team. I'm aware of that. I tried to make pitches when you have to."
Mazara homered in the fourth with Jurickson Profar, who had walked, aboard, which was the first hit off Royals starter Yordano Ventura. Mazara, who tops all American League rookies with 25 games with multiple hits and 141 total bases, doubled to center in the fifth, scoring Delino DeShields.
Beltre, a career .363 hitter at Kauffman Stadium, hit a three-run homer in the Rangers' four-run seventh off Joakim Soria. Ian Desmond singled in the first run of the inning. Soria has allowed six runs in his past two outings and has a 9.72 ERA in his past nine relief appearances.
Ventura was struck in the right rib cage by a Beltre laser to end the fifth. After Ventura threw to first base, he collapsed to the ground in pain and was attended to by trainer Nick Kenney. X-rays were negative.