ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) -- Carlos Gomez and Shin-Soo Choo each drove in two runs and the Texas Rangers beat the Kansas City Royals 5-3 to end the teams' exhibition schedule on Saturday.
Texas had a scoreless tie and two wins in the last three games, all against Kansas City, to finish at 17-16-3.
The Royals (17-15-2) had been shut out in the first two games. Drew Butera led off the fifth inning with his second home run of the spring for KC's only run, ending a 22-inning scoreless streak.
Gomez drove in an unearned run in the first inning with his second sacrifice fly in two games. In the four-run second, Delino DeShields hit another sacrifice fly, Choo lined a two-run double and scored on a double by Gomez.
Allen Webster and three relievers held the Royals to four hits over eight innings. Brady Dragmire gave up two walks and a two-run double to Brayan Pena in the ninth.
STARTING TIME
Royals: RHP Jason Hammel (0-2 this spring) was hit hard and had control problems. In two innings, he allowed four earned runs on four hits, a walk and two hit batters. LHP Jason Vargas, scheduled to start on Friday at Houston, struck out four in three scoreless relief innings.
Rangers: Webster finished the spring 2-0 for Texas, but was by far at his best on Saturday. He allowed only one hit and one walk in four innings.
RANGERS BULLPEN
Texas manager Jeff Banister said the opening day roster would include eight or nine relievers. He said he had informed seven of those that they have made the team: RHPs Sam Dyson, Tony Barnette, Jeremy Jeffress, Matt Bush and Rule 5 draft pick Mike Hauschild, and LHPs Alex Claudio and Dario Alvarez.
TRAINER'S ROOM
Royals: Manager Ned Yost said there was no news on RF Jorge Soler (strained oblique), who will miss at least Monday's opening game. "He's getting better," Yost said.
Rangers: A day before the 25-man roster had to be finalized, Texas was uncertain whether 3B Adrian Beltre (tight right calf) would go on the disabled list to start his 20th major league season . Banister said it was unlikely that RHP Tanner Scheppers (abdominal discomfort) would be available to start the season. . The Rangers postponed a simulated game for RHP Tyson Ross, recovering from surgery to relieve thoracic outlet syndrome, until Sunday. Ross said he would pitch two innings or 30 pitches, and then would go on the five-day schedule of a starter until he's ready to pitch in a regular-season game for the first time in more than a year.
UP NEXT
Royals: Open the season at Minnesota on Monday. LHP Danny Duffy (12-3, 3.51 last season) will make his first opening day start against Twins RHP Ervin Santana. They opposed each other on March 18, when Duffy and the USA beat Santana and the Dominican Republic in the World Baseball Classic.
Rangers: Host Cleveland on Monday night in a pitching matchup between two 30-year-olds: Texas RHP Yu Darvish (7-5, 3.41) and Cleveland RHP Corey Kluber (18-9, 3.14).
