Royals 4, Rangers 1: Jason Vargas struck out five in 6 2/3 scoreless innings and Alex Gordon homered as host Kansas City polished off a three-game sweep of Texas.

Vargas (11-7) scattered six hits and did not walk a batter for the Royals, who increased their lead in the American League Central to 1 1/2 games over the Detroit Tigers. Billy Butler added an RBI double and Salvador Perez doubled and scored for Kansas City.

Ryan Rua had two hits and an RBI as the Rangers dropped their fifth straight game. Nick Tepesch (4-9) was reached for four runs - three earned - on six hits in 6 2/3 innings but got little help from a Texas offense that managed five runs in the three-game series.

The Royals managed one hit through the first three innings but doubled that total in the fourth when Omar Infante led off with a single. Gordon followed and drove a 3-1 fastball out to center for his 19th home run and a 2-0 cushion.

Butler was lifted for a pinch runner after ripping an RBI double down the left-field line in the seventh, and rookie Terrance Gore stole third before scoring on the overthrow to make it a 4-0 gap. Rua’s single to center got the Rangers on the board in the eighth, but Wade Davis came on to get the final out of that inning and Greg Holland worked a perfect ninth for his 42nd save.

GAME NOTEBOOK: Gore was recalled this week to serve mainly as a pinch runner down the stretch after stealing 168 bases in 330 games in the minors. … Davis’ scoreless third of an inning marked his 29th straight appearance without allowing a run. … Texas heads home to host another postseason contender in the Seattle Mariners on Thursday while the Royals get the day off before beginning a road trip in New York on Friday.