Kansas City, MO (Sports Network) - Alex Gordon homered, doubled and scored the go-ahead run, as the Kansas City Royals avoided a three-game sweep with a 6-5 victory over the Texas Rangers.

Gordon was 2-for-4 with two runs batted in, scoring twice and Mike Aviles hit his first major-league home run, a two-run shot, for the Royals, who snapped a two-game skid.

Ron Mahay (2-0) earned the win, retiring two batters in the eighth and Joakim Soria notched his 15th save of the season with a perfect ninth.

German Duran hit a three-run homer while Ian Kinsler added a solo shot for Texas, which had a three-game winning streak halted.

Frank Francisco (1-2) entered the game for Texas in the eighth and immediately gave up the lead. Alberto Callaspo led off with a single to left and Tony Pena came on to pinch-run. Gordon lined a double to right, moving Pena to third before Francisco unleashed a wild pitch over the head of the catcher, scoring Pena. Jose Guillen then lofted a sac fly to center, plating the go-ahead run before Francisco retired the final two batters.

Texas starter Eric Hurley bounced back from a jittery first inning to pitch well in his major-league debut. The 23-year-old right-hander gave up four runs on six hits without issuing a walk in six innings of work.

"In the first inning, I tried to nitpick a little bit," Hurley said. "After that I was like, All right, I'm just going to go after these guys. Like any other day on the mound. I got a little bit more locked in and went from there."

Kansas City's Brian Bannister settled down after allowing all four of his runs in the second, finishing on six hits without issuing a walk. The right-hander struck out four in the no-decision.

Kansas City jumped out to an early lead in the first. Callaspo singled to left with one out and Gordon swatted a two-run shot to right-center.

Texas rallied to take the lead with two outs in the second. Bannister retired the first two batters with a groundout and strikeout but Frank Catalanotto and Jarrod Saltalamacchia banged out back-to-back singles before Duran smacked a three-run homer to left. Kinsler followed with a home run of his own to left, putting Texas up two.

The Royals tied things up in the fourth. After John Buck was plunked with a Hurley fastball, Aviles stroked a two-out homer over the wall in left.

"He's got good stuff," said Aviles, who faced Hurley in Triple-A. "He throws strikes. He throws hard, around 91 or 92. He's got a good slider. He's just one of those pitchers who comes after you and he's going to be around the plate. You've just got to go out there and look for a pitch you can drive into the gap."

Ramon Ramirez replaced Bannister in the eighth and walked the leadoff batter, Brandon Boggs. Josh Hamilton doubled to left two batters later with Boggs moving to third. Mahay came on to face David Murphy, who drove a long fly ball to the track in left-center, but David DeJesus made a running catch against the wall. Boggs tagged on the play and the Rangers moved ahead by one.