ARLINGTON, Texas - Bartolo Colon didn't make history Saturday for the Texas Rangers, but his teammate Shin-Soo Choo did.
Choo became the top major league home run hitter born in Asia, connecting for a leadoff drive in the 10th inning that lifted the Rangers against the Kansas City Royals 4-3 Saturday.
The South Korea native's 176th career homer moved him past Hideki Matsui for the most by an Asian player.
"My dad told me when I was young, 'Always first. You need to be first. In sports, people think about the first person," Choo said. "I remembered that."
Choo hit a 3-1 pitch from Kevin McCarthy (3-2) the opposite way into the Royals bullpen for his eighth home run this year. It was his third career walk-off homer and first in five seasons with the Rangers.
"With a 3-1 count, I'm just looking for one pitch in one area, and try to swing hard," Choo said.
Alex Claudio (3-2) got the win by working the 10th.
Bartolo Colon, pitching two days after his 45th birthday, threw a season-high 102 pitches and gave up five hits in seven innings for Texas. He remained stuck on 242 career wins and will have to wait at least one more start to tie Juan Marichal for most wins by a native of the Dominican Republic.
In 97-degree heat, Colon allowed four hits during a three-run third. He gave up just two runners in the other six innings and struck out four.
"The most important thing is that we won," Colon said through a translator. "If I didn't win, that's fine. I don't think that much about (tying Marichal). If it comes, it will come."
The Royals did their only damage against Colon by getting to him early in counts in the third. After Hunter Dozier beat out an infield single, Alcides Escobar and Jon Jay each singled on the first pitch they saw, scoring one run.
Whit Merrifield then hit a 1-0 pitch into the left-field corner for a two-run double.
"(Colon's) been around the league for a long time for a reason," Merrifield said. "He doesn't miss over the plate a whole lot, and when he does you've got to take advantage of it. We did a couple times."
The Rangers tied it with single runs in the third, fourth and sixth. Ronald Guzman, who had homered in his previous four starts, tied it with a two-out double off reliever Brad Keller.
Royals starter Ian Kennedy gave up five hits and two runs in five innings and hasn't won since April 7, a stretch of nine consecutive starts.
Notes: Royals RHP Jason Hammel (1-5, 5.70) takes the mound this afternoon in the series finale. Rangers LHP Cole Hamels (3-4, 3.38) starts today for Texas.