ARLINGTON, Texas -- While Rougned Odor continued his recent tear for the Texas Rangers, the club may have gotten a more positive sign Friday night in their 8-3 victory over the Kansas City Royals.

The Rangers got a win from a starter other than Cole Hamels for the first time this month. Right-hander A.J. Griffin (4-1) won for the first time since April 26 with his 5 2/3 innings of two-run ball as the Rangers increased their lead to four games in the American League West.

Griffin's pitching and Odor's hitting was too much for the Royals as their lost for the eighth time in 10 games.

Griffin's outing was his longest since May 2 as he followed up Cole Hamels' dominant outing Thursday. The Rangers hadn't had consecutive wins from their rotation since June 14-17.

"That was huge what Cole did last night," Griffin said. "I think it lit a fire in our bellies a little bit more. I was excited to go out there and pitch. I was trying to go out there and match him. I didn't come close to that but it was good to throw the ball like I want to throw the ball."

A little offensive support didn't hurt either. The Rangers gave Griffin that when they scored three times off Edinson Volquez (8-9) in the first inning and kept on hitting.

Odor's first homer capped a first that included RBI from Ian Desmond and Adrian Beltre.

Texas extended the lead to 5-0 in the fifth on an RBI double from Nomar Mazara and a run-scoring single from Mitch Moreland. The Royals got those two runs back in the top of the sixth as Eric Hosmer ended Griffin's night with a two-run homer.

The Rangers weren't done scoring though. Jurickson Profar hit a solo homer in the sixth and Desmond scored ahead of Odor's second homer in the seventh on a wild pitch.

Odor, who had three hits, has now homered five times in the last 11 games and leads the Rangers with 21.

"I feel pretty good at the plate right now," Odor said. "I'm just trying to help my team win games. I don't try to hit homers, but if I hit it I feel good. It's a run and we need to score some runs. I'm just trying to help my team."

Volquez surrendered six runs (five earned) on nine hits in his six innings. He struck out five and walked two.

While Volquez put together three straight scoreless innings after his rough first, the hole he dug himself was too big to climb out of.

"I think I came out a little strong in the first inning, walking the first guy (Jurickson Profar)," Volquez said. "I got in trouble myself. After that, I pitched a couple of good innings, I kept the ball on the ground. But I think I lost the game in the first inning."

Kendrys Morales had two of the seven Kansas City hits, but the Royals have now three runs or less in six of their last eight games.

"We have to keep grinding away," manager Ned Yost said. "You can't tell them to go out and get a hit. It's just got to happen. And right now, it's just not. Your mindset is there's a couple of months left to play baseball. We have to show up ready to go tomorrow."

Mazara, Beltre, Moreland and Profar each had two hits for the Rangers.

NOTES: The Rangers added RHP Lucas Harrell to the roster and announced that he will start Sunday against Kansas City. To make room for Harrell, the Rangers optioned RHP Shawn Tolleson to Triple-A Round Rock. Tolleson started the season as the closer but has a 7.68 ERA in 37 outings. ... RHP Kyle Lohse, who was designated for assignment by Texas on Tuesday, declined an outright assignment and is now a free agent. ... Kansas City activated OF Lorenzo Cain from the 15-day disabled list after having been out since June 28 with a strained left hamstring. The Royals sent OF Brett Eibner to Triple-A Omaha to clear a roster spot for Cain. ... With his win Thursday night, Texas LHP Cole Hamels became the first pitcher in club history to have at least 12 victories and fewer than four losses in one season by the end of July. Hamels (12-2) won't pitch again until August. ... Rangers OF Jurickson Profar made his first big-league start in the outfield since 2013.