Kansas City, Mo. ? Francisco Cordero regretted making a crude gesture toward the Royals’ dugout the moment he made it. He was making no apologies for hitting Shane Costa with a pitch, though.

Cordero nearly sparked a brawl after getting the last out of the Texas Rangers’ 8-1 victory – and Kenny Rogers’ eight straight win – over Kansas City on Sunday when he took several steps toward the Royals’ dugout and grabbed his crotch.

The dugouts emptied, but the umpires stepped between the teams after a few tense moments, and the players left the field.

“I want to say I’m sorry about one thing, what I did in front of the fans and the kids,” Cordero said.

Cordero was upset that Kansas City manager Buddy Bell came out ask the umpires to issue a warning after Cordero hit Costa with a pitch with one out in the ninth inning.

“I don’t know why he was yelling at me for some reason,” Cordero said. “I’m just doing my job. Why did he get upset? They hit (Alfonso) Soriano earlier, and nobody said nothing about it, nobody complained.

“When I’m the mound, I’ve got to get people out. I don’t try to hit anybody.”

Bell saw things differently.

“On a 3-and-0 pitch, you have to have a better idea than that,” Bell said of Cordero’s control. “That was a blatant hit by pitch. I didn’t like it, and our guys didn’t like it, either.”

Soriano was hit in the back of his left leg by a pitch from Zack Greinke in the third inning and left in the seventh.

“I looked over, and Cordero grabbed himself,” Royals catcher John Buck said. “Sure they beat us, but there’s no reason to come over and act like an idiot in front of our dugout.”

Kansas City manager Buddy Bell yells at home-plate umpire Gary Cederstrom after Texas pitcher Francisco Cordero hit K.C.'s Shane Costa with a pitch during the ninth inning. Bell's complaint angered Cordero, who made an obscene gesture toward the Royals' dugout after the Rangers' 8-1 victory Sunday at Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City, Mo.

Rogers, who pitched seven sharp innings to win his career-best eighth consecutive start, hit David DeJesus in the first inning.

Rogers gave up five hits and a run, lowering his American League-leading earned-run average to 1.62. The left-hander, who last lost April 18 at Tampa Bay, won seven straight starts May 6-June 6, 1995.

The 40-year-old Rogers, who had a 31-inning scoreless streak from April 27-May 20, had his shutout spoiled with two outs in the seventh inning when Joe McEwing hit a run-scoring double.

McEwing had three of the five hits off Rogers, who struck out three and walked two before being replaced by Kameron Loe to start the eighth.

“Kenny was outstanding again,” Rangers manager Buck Showalter said. “He just keeps pitching as good as anybody in baseball. He’s just seems to be this sharp every time out. He’s been consistent and in a good rhythm. We’ve got a lot of confidence playing behind him. Get him some run support early, and I like our chances. Kenny doesn’t pitch poorly with a lead.”

The Rangers staked Rogers to a 7-0 lead after five innings.

Mark Teixeira hit his 14th homer of the season off Greinke with two outs in third into the grass beyond the right-field fence. He also doubled home Michael Young in the three-run fifth and has 15 extra-base hits among his past 25 hits.

Laynce Nix’s two-out single in the second scored Soriano to give Texas the early lead. Richard Hidalgo followed with an RBI double to shallow left-center to make it 2-0.

6Sports video: Rangers defeat Royals, 8-1

Teixeira homered, and Kevin Mench had an RBI double in the third to make it 4-0.

The Rangers chased Greinke (2-6) in a three-run fifth. Greinke allowed seven runs on 10 hits in 4 1/3 innings. The Royals have scored 28 runs in Greinke’s 12 starts, the lowest run-support average among AL starters.

“I wasn’t too good, giving up seven runs in five innings,” Greinke said. “I got hit around. I got the ball up more than I should, and that led to some good hits and bloop hits. It’s easier to get bloop hits when the ball is up.”

Soriano had his 2004 season cut short in September by a left hamstring injury.

“It’s same leg he had problems with earlier, but a different place,” Showalter said. “I think he’s OK from the hit by pitch. He got a pretty good blow from being hit in the back (of leg). We have an off day (Monday) and we’ll reevaluate tomorrow.”

David Dellucci hit his ninth home run in the sixth off reliever Leo Nunez. The Rangers lead the majors with 87 home runs and 311 runs.

Notes: Bell said he will keep RHP Jose Lima in his rotation, even though he has a 0-5 record with an 8.39 ERA in 12 starts and leads the American League with 17 home runs allowed. Lima will start Thursday at San Francisco. … Young singled to leadoff the fifth, extending his hitting streak to a career-high 15 games. … The Rangers improved to 14-11 on the road. …The Rangers have 10 or more hits in six of their past seven games.