Vladimir Guerrero belted a pair of two-run home runs, but it was his RBI double in the seventh that proved to be the difference in the Texas Rangers’ 8-7 victory over the Kansas City Royals on Tuesday night.

With the game tied 6-6 going into the seventh inning, the Rangers took the lead on Ian Kinsler’s sacrifice fly. Guerrero followed with a run-scoring double which gave Texas a two-run lead at 8-6.

And the Rangers (26-20) needed it, as the Royals (18-28) pulled to within one, 8-7, on Alberto Callaspo’s sacrifice fly in the bottom half of the seventh.

Rangers relievers Darren Oliver, Chris Ray and Neftali Feliz combined for 2 2/3 scoreless innings to close the game.

The Rangers had built a 6-2 lead at one point behind home runs from Guerrero, Josh Hamilton and Nelson Cruz.

But the Royals answered in the fifth with an RBI double from Billy Butler and three runs in the sixth, two coming on Willie Bloomquist’s triple and one on Jason Kendall’s suicide squeeze bunt.

Texas, though, managed to hold on.

Darren O’Day (2-2) earned the victory for the Rangers, while Royals reliever Brad Thompson (0-3) took the loss.