Rookie Koronka Helps Rangers End Skid

Left-hander John Koronka gave up seven hits in 6 1/3 innings, Hank Blalock was four for four and the Texas Rangers defeated the Minnesota Twins, 6-4, Monday night at Arlington, Texas.

Koronka (4-1) became the first major league rookie with four victories this season.

“I wasn’t as sharp as I have been,” Koronka said. “I knew it when I went back to throw a fastball and couldn’t hit the outer third of the plate. And early on when I threw changeups, I left them up. Confidence-wise, it helps a lot knowing I didn’t have my best stuff and I still could win.”

Manager Buck Showalter has been impressed with Koronka’s overall performance.

“There’s a lot of guys who’ve had good starts in the majors, but I like the fact that he’s got some deception, he has a good idea about holding runners, he understands the importance of using both sides of the plate, he can throw three pitches at three different speeds,” Showalter said.

Texas, which had won six games in a row before getting swept by the New York Yankees in a three-game weekend series, got back on track with a 13-hit attack against three pitchers.

Michael Young had two doubles, giving him 15, second in the American League to Mike Lowell’s 17 for Boston.

Brad Radke (3-4) gave up six runs and 11 hits in five innings. The right-hander, who has had nine seasons of 10 victories or more with the Twins, has an uncharacteristic 7.75 earned-run average.

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Kansas City 4, Cleveland 3 -- Doug Mientkiewicz drove in two runs and John Buck hit his first homer to lead the Royals at Kansas City, Mo.

It’s the second time this year the Royals have beaten Paul Byrd (4-3), who won a career-best 17 games for Kansas City in 2002.

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Seattle 6, Tampa Bay 3 -- Jose Lopez drove in three runs, and the Mariners rallied in front of 16,102, the smallest crowd in Safeco Field history.

Gil Meche (2-2) threw 51 pitches in the first two innings but made it through seven, his longest outing this season.