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Final Score: Texas 9 - Kansas City 4

Kansas City, MO (Sports Network) - Milton Bradley went 3-for-4 with three RBI as the Texas Rangers downed the Kansas City Royals, 9-4, in the opener of a three-game set at Kauffman Stadium.

Nelson Cruz went 3-for-5 with a three-run home run while Chris Davis hit a solo shot for the Rangers, who had dropped six of seven coming into the game. Scott Feldman (5-5) gave up three runs -- two earned -- on eight hits in seven innings of work to grab the win.

David DeJesus went 3-for-4 with an RBI and Gil Meche (10-10) was saddled with the loss as he gave up five runs on a career-high 14 hits in 6 1/3 innings of work for the Royals, who have lost eight of their last nine games.

"(When) you've pitched good for so long, so once you get to this point, you're more aggravated than anything," said Meche, who had won his previous four decisions and hadn't lost a game since July 2 against Baltimore. "But it's going to happen here and there and I've just been on a good streak."

Texas took the lead in the first on an RBI double from Bradley that scored Michael Young, who had hit a one-out single.

The Rangers increased their lead with a four-run third. Back-to-back singles from Young and Josh Hamilton to start the inning put runners at the corners and Bradley's sacrifice fly plated Young. After Hank Blalock struck out, Marlon Byrd singled and Cruz followed by slamming a 1-1 fastball over the right field wall for a 5-0 lead.

"I've been seeing the ball really well and I put good wood on the ball," said Cruz.

The Royals got two runs back in the bottom of the third on consecutive RBI singles from Alberto Callaspo and DeJesus to make it a 5-2 contest.

In the seventh, John Buck grounded into a fielder's choice that allowed Billy Butler to cross the plate and cut Kansas City's deficit to 5-3.

However, Texas helped seal the win in the eighth. Davis led off the frame with a homer to center. Two more runs crossed the plate on back-to-back RBI singles from Hamilton and Bradley and Byrd later lofted a sac fly to score Hamilton for a 9-3 lead.

The Royals got a run off Josh Rupe in the ninth, on Ross Gload's RBI single, to account for the final score.