The two-run shot in the eighth inning against Texas on Tuesday night merely padded the lead for Kansas City, which went on to a 5-2 victory. It was the fifth straight win for the Royals, who closed to within 2 1/2 games of an AL wild-card berth and are within nine games of the first-place Tigers in the AL Central.

The Texas Rangers scored two runs while the Kansas City Royals scored five runs.

Vinnie Pasquantino homered in the first inning and scored the go-ahead run in the seventh, leading the Kansas City Royals to a 5-2 win over the Texas Rangers.

Kansas City Royals outfielder Mark Canha returned from an injury-rehabilitation assignment on Monday and was then designated for assignment, the club announced before its series-opening home game against the Texas Rangers. Canha, 36, was recovering from a left-elbow injury. He had been on the injury list since June 8, missing 32 major-league games.

Rangers first. Josh Smith grounds out to first base to Vinnie Pasquantino. Wyatt Langford strikes out swinging. Corey Seager homers to center field. Joc Pederson flies out to deep left center

The Kansas City Royals scratched veteran Salvador Perez, who was supposed to catch for starter Michael Wacha and bat fifth in the lineup, from the starting lineup of their series opener against the Texas Rangers on Monday night because of an illness.

Jaylon Thompson covers the Royals for The Kansas City Star. He previously covered the 2021 World Series and the 2016 Summer Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

DFA'd by Kansas City

When the Rangers arrived in Kansas City on Sunday night, they knew how big of a week it was -- four games at Kauffman Stadium and then another three at home against the Guardians, two of the three tea