KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) -- With home runs flying out of Kauffman Stadium, the key play in Texas' 4-3 victory over Kansas City night was a tapper back to the mound.

John Wetteland played it perfectly, and the Texas Rangers won their seventh in a row and moved into a virtual tie with Seattle in the AL West.

	Helling

The bullpen, key to a surge that's seen the Rangers win 10 of 12, could hardly have been more poised. Jeff Zimmerman, after giving up a double to Mike Sweeney with no outs in the eighth, didn't even let the tying run reach third.

In the ninth, the Royals had runners at first and third with one out and Johnny Damon at the plate. A fast runner, Damon is tough to double up.

"I have to try to strike out a guy who doesn't strike out a lot," said Wetteland, who got his 11th save in 14 opportunities.

"That's what I set out to do, but I got in a position where I had to make him hit it."

Damon hit a little grounder back to Wetteland, who got Scott Pose in a rundown between third and home for the second out. Carlos Febles was then retired on a fly ball.

"That was the best I could have hoped for," Wetteland said. "That's a bad situation to be in. But what am I going to do? Panic? Light my hair on fire?"

Chad Curtis and David Segui homered, and Rick Helling (7-1) went seven-plus innings and won his fifth straight start as the Rangers moved within percentage points of first-place Seattle, a 4-2 loser in Baltimore, in the AL West.

Royals manager Tony Muser said the pivotal play in the ninth could be viewed two ways.

"It kept us out of a double play and let another batter get to the plate," he said. "On the other hand, you're sacrificing a baserunner who was 90 feet away. There are two things you don't want to do in that situation -- hit it to third or to the pitcher."

Febles hit his first home run of the year leading off the eighth, making it 4-3 and bringing Zimmerman from the bullpen to replace Helling, who has not lost since April 25. He gave up three runs and six hits.

Curtis hit a three-run homer with two outs in the third off Miguel Batista (2-2). Jason McDonald walked and Luis Alicea singled before Curtis hit a 2-1 pitch 432 feet into the visitor's bullpen.

In the Kansas City fourth, Joe Randa singled and Dave McCarty homered to make it 3-2.

In the sixth, Segui hit his fifth homer, the league-leading 78th given up by Kansas City.

Game notes
Ivan Rodriguez was 2-for-4 and raised his average to .366. ... Batista went seven innings, giving up six hits and four runs with one walk and no strikeouts. ... The Royals loaded the bases with two outs in the first with two walks and Mark Quinn's single. But Helling got Carlos Beltran to pop up. ... When Batista walked Jason McDonald with two outs in the third, it ended a string of 24 straight batters retired by Kansas City pitching. ... Curtis has reached base with either a hit or a walk in 17 straight games. ... 1B Sweeney made a fine sliding catch of Ruben Mateo's foul pop in the fourth. Then the crowd's applause turned to laughter when he got to his feet and threw wildly to 2B Febles, rolling the ball into left-center. ... Royals broadcaster Ryan Lefebvre called the game from the left-field bleachers. ... Lauri Greer, wife of Texas outfielder Rusty Greer, had twins on Tuesday, a boy and a girl.