Bartolo Colon has reached one goal he set for himself this season and is within two wins of another.

Colon earned his 244th victory Tarik Cohen Bears Jersey , passing Hall of Famer Juan Marichal for the most by a pitcher born in the Dominican Republic, and the Texas Rangers beat the skidding Kansas City Royals 6-3 on Monday night.

Adrian Beltre hit a three-run homer for the Rangers, who won their third straight game. The 45-year-old Colon (4-4) allowed three runs and nine hits in six innings to break a tie with Marichal on the career wins chart.

Only right-hander Dennis Martinez has more victories among pitchers from Latin America. Martinez, a native of Nicaragua, won 245 games in the majors.

”Now that I’ve won the 244, I see that it’s close to Dennis Martinez, but with health and enough time, I’m ready to be able to pass him and be the first Latin with more wins,” Colon said through a translator. ”I feel happy, of course, to pass a Hall of Famer, the first Dominican in the Hall of Fame.”

The Royals have lost seven straight and 13 of 14. They’ve dropped 27 of 37 games at Kauffman Stadium, the worst home record in the majors. Kansas City is 2-14 in June, having been outscored 95-35.

Colon was 1-3 with a 9.51 ERA in his five previous starts. Kansas City loaded the bases with one out in the fifth Leonard Williams Jersey , but the portly and popular right-hander affectionately nicknamed Big Sexy got out of the inning when Hunter Dozier grounded into a double play.

”They’ve wanted to get this win for him for some time now,” Rangers manager Jeff Banister said. ”It’s just incredible to watch. He’s such a humble guy. No real fanfare whatsoever. Kind of just a great humility. But, these guys fought hard for him and were able to get him some runs and he fought hard for it tonight.”

Keona Kela tossed a spotless ninth for his 16th save in 16 chances.

Beltre homered in the third off Ian Kennedy, with Elvis Andrus and Nomar Mazara aboard, to give the Rangers a 5-0 advantage. Mazara had three hits.

Kennedy (1-7) is 1-13 in his last 28 home starts. He is winless in 13 starts since an April 7 victory at Cleveland.

The right-hander gave up a home run to Shin-Soo Choo on his fourth pitch, a drive that just cleared the Royals’ right-field bullpen fence. Choo reached base five times, including a double and three walks.

Kennedy yielded five runs and four hits, two of them homers. He walked three.

”Just one really bad inning and it cost us the game,” Kennedy said. ”One pitch, I hung a curveball and the three-run homer was the big swing and it cost us the game. I felt like I pitched better than the line. I really felt like we were going to come back and win.”

Adalberto Mondesi had an RBI double in the Kansas City third and scored on Mike Moustakas’ sacrifice fly.

Rosel Herrera had a run-scoring triple in the fourth for his first extra-base hit and RBI, trimming the lead to 5-3.

Delino DeShields‘ bunt single in the eighth scored Jurickson Profar for the final Texas run.

HERRERA TRADED

Just before the game, Royals manager Ned Yost broke the news to closer Kelvin Herrera that he had been traded to the Washington Nationals for three minor league prospects.

”It was one that was a little emotional,” Yost said of the conversation. ”I’ve seen him throw every pitch he’s ever thrown in the big leagues. I’ve seen him come up as a rookie and be a part of one of the best bullpens (with Wade Davis and Greg Holland) in recent history, to be an All-Star and a world champion. We knew this day was coming someday down the road. It’s a chance for him to go play for a winner.”

STRUGGLING

Royals SS Alcides Escobar is in a 3-for-45 drought in his past 12 games.

ROSTER MOVES

Rangers: Andrus was activated after missing 59 games with a broken right elbow. RHP Ricardo Rodriguez was recalled from Triple-A Round Rock Denzel Ward Jersey , where he had allowed one unearned run in 13 1/3 innings. C Jose Trevino was optioned to Double-A Frisco after hitting a game-ending, two-run single in the ninth on Sunday. RHP Deck McGuire was designated for assignment.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Royals: Whit Merrifield was in the lineup as the designated hitter after leaving in the second inning Sunday with a bruised left knee after fouling a pitch off his leg.

UP NEXT

Rangers: LHP Cole Hamels (3-6, 3.69 ERA) starts Tuesday night at Kansas City.

Royals: RHP Jason Hammel (2-7, 4.89) is winless in his last eight home starts.

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Isaiah McKenzie knows he let a big opportunity slip right through his fingers last season.

Six muffed punts .

The Denver Broncos returner knows he can’t hide from that glaring figure. All he can do is learn, which is why McKenzie went back and watched every mistake again and again. He’s hoping to win back trust and receive another chance after fumbling it away.

”Unacceptable,” the 5-foot-8, 173-pound McKenzie said of his rookie season as two of his muffs led to turnovers and another to a safety. ”I say that because I know the things I can do. I can catch the ball. I can make plays. I made bad decisions. I understand that and I’m building off that. I’ve come back this year with a better mindset.”

Over the offseason, he focused on little things: Getting more sleep. Eating better. Lifting more in the weight room.

”It was about getting my mind right, my body right,” McKenzie said.

He also scrutinized those muffed punts and the decisions that led to them.

”It’s like, `Why did I do that? I shouldn’t have done that,”’ said McKenzie, whose long return last season was 44 yards at Philadelphia. ”The first four games, I was catching everything and making big plays. I kind of got greedy.”

He’s got even more competition this time around. There’s receiver Jordan Taylor and rookie wideout DaeSean Hamilton Cheap Rashaad Penny Jersey , along with rookie running backs David Williams, Phillip Lindsay and Royce Freeman. The team also has a new special teams coordinator in Tom McMahon, who doesn’t have any sort of hierarchy in place yet.

Or preconceived notions.

”I want them to earn it,” McMahon said. ”Naturally, Isaiah and Jordan, in my opinion, they’re doing a great job right now. … We’re going to have a great returner, whoever it is.”

McKenzie just hopes he can win back the confidence in him – from head coach Vance Joseph, who kept running him out there. From his teammates. From the fans.

”People don’t understand, you’re sitting in the stands, but punt return is hard. It’s a tough job,” receiver Emmanuel Sanders said. ”He has to reset. He doesn’t have a choice. He has to take a step back and say, `OK, how can I break down the film and get better?’ That’s what he’s been doing. We’re going to see if it paid off when the season comes.”

McKenzie also hopes there’s room for him as a receiver. The team spent draft picks on Courtland Sutton (second round) and Hamilton (fourth).

”We got two of the best receivers in the draft Sam Darnold Jersey ,” said McKenzie, who caught four passes for 29 yards. ”It’s a job competition every day. That’s what I come here to do, compete every day.”

A fifth-round pick out of Georgia, McKenzie started out with a 31-yard punt return against the Los Angeles Chargers in the opener.

Soon after, the muffs began to happen. Two against Oakland, which didn’t result in turnovers. Another mishandling against the New York Giants – again recovered and no real harm done, except perhaps to the psyche.

McKenzie’s bobble cost him at Kansas City , with his turnover leading to a field goal. And another against New England after the defense forced a three-and-out to open the game. Tom Brady converted that into a TD during a 41-16 rout on Nov. 12.

McKenzie was inactive the following week in a season going sideways. At practice on Thanksgiving Day, McKenzie and defensive back Chris Harris Jr. got into a tussle.

The following week, inactive again before he returned Dec. 3 at Miami. He fumbled a punt in the fourth quarter that led to him being tackled in the end zone for a safety. He didn’t return a punt over the last four contests.

”Last year was a roller coaster,” McKenzie said. ”But it’s a fresh start. I’m catching the ball well on punts. I’m keeping it rolling.”

NOTES: Sanders is hoping to help set up a quarterback/receiver camp this summer. ”Go out there for two or three days and throw the football around and hang out and gain team chemistry,” Sanders said. … S Justin Simmons is trying to balance workouts with being a father after the birth of his daughter last month. ”No sleep,” he said. ”But it’s good.”

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