Gonzalez's 5 RBIs Rout Royals

Juan Gonzalez and the rest of the Texas Rangers didn't have to do much baserunning Tuesday night.

Base-trotting

Gonzalez homered twice and drove in five runs Tuesday night, increasing his major league-leading RBI total to 110, and the Rangers hit a season-high six homers in a 15-5 rout of the Kansas City Royals.

Gonzalez, who has nine RBI in his last three games after going nine games without one, hit a solo homer in the second inning and a three-run shot in the sixth that gave Texas a 15-4 lead. He also had an RBI single in the Rangers' nine-run first inning.

"The last three games, I've been trying to be more patient," Gonzalez said. "I've been trying too hard and maybe losing a little bit of my mechanics."

Roberto Kelly and Mike Simms each hit three-run homers in the Texas first, Simms off starter Jose Rosado (4-8) and Kelly against reliever Jim Pittsley.

"I'm not about home runs, I'm about runs," Rangers manager Johnny Oates said. "I'll take 15 runs any way we can get them."

Rick Helling (13-5) pitched a seven-hitter with three strikeouts and no walks. He retired 15 batters on fly balls to the outfield.

"You get a big lead, the main thing you want to do is get your team on and off the field as fast as you can," Helling said. "You want to keep them out of the heat, let them get back to swinging the bats again. I gave up a few runs, but I was trying to make quick innngs for us and save the bullpen."

All four of the Rangers' hits against Pittsley were home runs. Kevin Elster hit a leadoff homer in the third inning for an 11-3 lead, and Rusty Greer led off the fourth with a homer that made it 12-3.

"I didn't have to tell anybody anything (about Pittsley)," Kelly said. "It was obvious that everybody was on their game and swinging the bat well."

Gonzalez's second home run came against Chris Haney. He came up in the eighth with two on, but hit a fly ball to center field.

"I was hoping to get a couple more batted in," he said. "You always like to come up and see men on base."

The Rangers' six home runs matched an all-time high by a Royals opponent. Kansas City gave up six homers to Boston on May 28, 1977.

Eight of the Rangers' first-inning runs were unearned, the result of an error by Royals third baseman Dean Palmer, who misplayed a grounder by leadoff hitter Mark McLemore.

Rosado lasted just two-thirds of an inning, giving up eight runs and six hits.

Will Clark and Fernando Tatis also had RBI hits in the Rangers first.

Jeff Conine and Johnny Damon hit solo home runs for the Royals. Conine added an RBI single in the seventh inning.

"We made good contact but hit it right at people," Muser said. "They made good contact and hit it over the fence. You can't defend a ball over the fence."

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