Royals’ utility player Willie Bloomquist stole third with one out in the bottom of the ninth and scored on Rangers’ relief pitcher Alexi Ogando’s wild pitch with two outs in the ninth to lift the Royals to a wild 10-9 win over Texas on Tuesday night.

Bloomquist came into run for Wilson Betemit who started the ninth with a double. Bloomquist said he knew he had to try to make something happen with the hard throwing Ogando on the mound. “If you get to third base, there are a few more ways to score from there than second. You try to steal a win like that. It worked out.”

This was a game that sort of went back and forth with big innings. The Rangers acquired Cliff Lee from Seattle and he was to be the guy to help them down the stretch and postseason and so far he has struggled. The Royals got to him early. Lee is winless in his past five starts with an 8.28 ERA while allowing 27 earned runs on 44 hits in 29 1/3 innings. He left after 4 2/3 innings, his shortest outing since Sept. 20, 2009, allowing seven runs and 10 hits. 

However, the Rangers went deep four times with solo shots from Michael Young, David Murphy and Mitch Moreland and a two run blast from Vlad Guerrero in the fifth inning. The Rangers scored three in the fifth and sixth innings. Earlier in the game, the Royals scored three in the third off a throwing error by Lee.

Five players had multiple hits for the Royals including Alex Gordon who drove in three runs, but also struck out three times. Joakim Soria (1-2) picked up the win, when he pitched a scoreless ninth.