A first-inning home run from Vinnie Pasquantino turned out to be the only runs the Kansas City Royals would get on the scoreboard, as the Texas Rangers came from behind to defeat the Royals 6-3 on Wednesday, Aug. 20 at Kauffman Stadium.

Texas got on the board first, when Wyatt Langford led off with a full-count, solo shot to left field. The Royals responded with singles by Mike Yastrzemski and Bobby Witt Junior, setting up Pasquantino’s three-run blast to the fountains at right-center field. Caleb Boushley allowed two walks afterward, but those base runners did not make it home. They would turn out to be the first of nine base runners the Royals would strand, as Boushley and the Texas bullpen would only allow five more hits and three walks, while striking out nine to keep the Royals contained.

The Royals bullpen, however, struggled to keep Texas in check. Starter Noah Cameron would allow an RBI single to Marcus Semien in the third, accounting for his two runs on three hits and three walks with five punchouts in 4.2 innings. The bullpen began to show signs of wear, after Lucas Erceg blew his save situation when he allowed Corey Seager to single home Jonah Heim in the seventh.

After escaping from the eighth with a pickoff throw to second, Sam Long proceeded to allow a walk and single, while being victimized with a fielding error by Pasquantino, to load the bases with two outs in the ninth. Kyle Higashioka cleared the bases with a double to give Texas the lead. Hoby Milner got the Royals to ground out three times to lock down his second win of the season. Long took the loss, with all three runs unearned. He allowed five hits and a walk, recording one strikeout.

The loss now has the Royals at 65-62, ten games behind Detroit in the AL Central, but in the wild card standings are 2.5 games behind a Seattle squad that’s lost their last five. The Royals turn to Michael Lorenzen to avoid a split of the series Thursday afternoon. Pregame is at 12:30 p.m., with first pitch at 1:10 p.m., on KMMO-FM 102.9.