KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) - Ian Kinsler was nearly out twice in the 10th inning. He wound up with a triple instead.

Kinsler had a three-base hit leading off the 10th inning and scored on Michael Young's single to lift the Texas Rangers over the Kansas City Royals 5-4 on Thursday night.

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Lorenzo Cain nearly caught Kinsler's drive at the wall. And Kinsler slid in just ahead of the tag at third base.

``It's a game of centimeters sometimes,' losing pitcher Greg Holland said. ``When he hit the ball I knew he'd barreled it. Cain did a great job getting to his spot. You can't expect somebody to make that play. It was a great throw to third. I think if it didn't bounce so high we would have had him.'

Royals manager Ned Yost thought Cain was real close to catching Kinsler's drive.

``I don't think he missed it by more than a foot,' Yost said.

Josh Hamilton and Adrian Beltre hit back-to-back homers in the fourth to help the AL West leaders overcome a 3-0 deficit.

The Rangers (82-55) moved a season-high 27 games above .500 and own the best record in franchise history after 137 games. They won their sixth straight series and upped their division lead to 5 1/2 games over idle Oakland.

Mike Adams (4-3) allowed one hit in a scoreless ninth. Joe Nathan earned his 30th save in 31 tries, converting his 28th consecutive opportunity since a blown save on April 11. It was the right-hander's 39th career save against Kansas City.

Holland (6-4) pitched one inning.

Royals starter Luke Hochevar took a 3-0 lead into the fourth and retired his first 10 batters before Young's single. Four pitches later the score was tied after Hamilton and Beltre hit consecutive home runs for the fourth time this season and second on this road trip.

``They're both good hitters but you have to keep grinding and attacking relentlessly, regardless of what happens you have to continue to attack,' Hochevar said. ``This is probably the toughest lineup we've prepared for.

``Every lineup can be tough depending on how they're hitting. This one, and the Yankees, they're tough. You look around the league and the veteran lineups are the tough lineups. But regardless of what it is, you've just got to attack and give everything you've got.'

Hamilton tops the majors with 39 homers and is tied with Detroit's Miguel Cabrera for the RBI lead with 116. Beltre, who has 30 home runs, has been the hottest hitter in the majors over the past 17 games with 11 homers, 21 RBIs, 16 runs and a .435 batting average.

``Luke got a pitch up to Hamilton, but he made a pretty good pitch to Beltre,' Yost said. ``He's so hot now he's spanking everything.'

Hochevar, who is 0-4 with a 5.74 ERA in seven starts since a victory July 31, was pulled with one out in the seventh when the Rangers went ahead 4-3. Geovany Soto's double scored David Murphy, who had singled.

Kelvin Herrera replaced Hochevar and on the next pitch induced Craig Gentry to ground into an inning-ending double play.

Scott Feldman, who is 0-5 in his past six starts, left with a 4-3 lead, but the Texas bullpen failed to hold it for even one batter. After Feldman retired the leadoff hitter in the seventh, manager Ron Washington summoned left-hander Michael Kirkman to face Eric Hosmer, who homered on a 3-1 pitch. It was the first home run in Kirkman's career that he has yielded to a left-handed hitter.

Jeff Francoeur, who entered batting just .128 with no extra-base hits and one RBI in 14 games, homered in the second inning off Feldman.

Alex Gordon stroked a run-scoring triple in the third and scored on Salvador Perez's single. Perez extended his hitting streak to 11 games, matching his career best.

The Royals stole three bases without a throw, including two swipes of third by Cain. Rangers opponents have stolen 24 bases in a row without being caught since Aug. 6.

On the flip side, Perez picked off Gentry at first base, his second pickoff of the series and fourth this season - a Royals record.

NOTES: OF David Lough, who had started four of five games since the Royals called him up Sept. 1, was not in the lineup due to a mild right hamstring strain. Lough was injured running to first base in the ninth inning Wednesday. ... Rangers LHP Derek Holland (10-6) will try to win his fourth straight start Friday night at Tampa Bay. ... The Royals, who swept the White Sox in a three-game series last month at Kauffman Stadium, will open a six-game trip Friday at Chicago with RHP Luis Mendoza on the mound. ... Texas C Mike Napoli, on the disabled list with a strained left quadriceps, ran the bases before the game. Washington acknowledged Napoli did not feel ``comfortable' afterward. ``It's not a setback,' Washington said. ``We've just got to get him past running the bases, that's all. We're just going slow.' ... Rangers LHP Robbie Ross, on the DL with a strained foreman, rejoined the team and has been cleared to throw.