Alcides Escobar's big day led the Royals to victory.

Alcides Escobar’s big day led the Royals to victory.

Alcides Escobar had three hits and had his hand inĀ five runs, scoring twice with driving home three, as the Royals beat the Texas Rangers 6-3 on Thursday for a split of the four-game series.

After going 8-for-16 in the series, Escobar is hitting .318 for the season. He led off the finale with a single and scored when Alex Gordon’s had a shattered-bat grounder to reach on a fielder’s choice. Escobar added a two-run single to make it 3-0 in the fourth, then had an RBI single before Homer’s seventh homer of the season in the sixth.

Royals starter Jeremy Guthrie (3-2) gave up two runs over five innings to win his second consecutive start. He struck out one and didn’t walk a batter, but twice hit Prince Fielder with pitches.

Greg Holland worked the ninth for his seventh save in eight chances, even after consecutive two-out walks.