The Rangers were tied up by the Kansas City Royals in their four-game series on Tuesday night, after Texas starter Matt Harrison struggled to record outs in a frustrating 6-3 loss.
Harrison fell to 15-9 overall with the defeat, and was forced to the bench after a Salvador Perez RBI double sealed his fate in the fifth inning. Although Texas' hitters No. 1-4 in the lineup combined to finish 5-for-14 in the game, including a solo home run by shortstop Elvis Andrus, Kansas City right-hander Jeremy Guthrie proved to be too much in the middle innings when it counted most.
Knowing that his team cannot afford to drop games like this in the midst of a tight divisional race, manager Ron Washington will look to Ryan Dempster in the third game of the series. The 35-year-old Dempster has recorded victories in each of his last three appearances with the Rangers and will hope to keep things going on Wednesday evening.
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