Arlington, TX (Sports Network) - Sidney Ponson pitched eight strong innings for the Texas Rangers and got some timely hitting on home runs from Ian Kinsler and Ramon Vazquez in outdueling the Kansas City Royals and Zack Greinke for a 2-1 win at Rangers Ballpark.

Ponson (1-0) gave up just one run on six hits, walking two with five strikeouts in just his second start of the season. Vazquez and Kinsler backed Ponson with solo home runs for Texas, which has won four of its last six games on the heels of a seven-game losing streak.

Greinke (3-1) was equally impressive allowing only two solo home runs and four hits with no walks and a season-high nine strikeouts in seven innings but the Royals bats abandoned the righthander and saddled him with his first loss of the year. Their lone run came on a Mark Grudzielanek's two-out RBI single in the third. Kansas City has dropped three of its last four.

Vazquez homered to right with the game-winning run with one out in the bottom of the sixth to give the Rangers the lead for good 2-1.

John Buck led off the third with a line-drive single to center. Tony Pena Jr. then grounded into a fielder's choice and Joey Gathright sacrificed him to second. Grudzielanek followed with a line-drive single to center field to score Pena.

Lefthander C.J. Wilson came on in the ninth to retire the side in order to record his sixth save of the season, striking out Mark Teahen to end the game.

Kinsler started the game off for Texas with a leadoff home run to left in the bottom of the first to give the Rangers a quick 1-0 lead.