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 McCullers capped a stellar month by eluding trouble and the Astros
added to their major league-leading total of multi-home run games in
their 6-1 win over the Kansas City Royals at Minute Maid Park.
McCullers (4-2) allowed a solo home run to Royals catcher Salvador
Perez leading off the seventh, his lone blemish on an otherwise
workmanlike ledger. McCullers allowed four hits and two walks while
recording six strikeouts, and despite allowing the leadoff batter to
reach in the first, second, fifth, sixth and seventh innings, he
retired 11 of 12 batters during one key stretch.
"He had a really good breaking ball," Royals designated hitter
Lorenzo Cain said of McCullers. "I don't know if it was a slider or
curveball. It had a little of both with the action. It had good
break on it. It definitely kept us off balance all night."
McCullers closed June with a 2.11 ERA, the lowest ERA in June by an
Astros rookie since right-hander Darryl Kyle posted a 1.80 ERA in
1990. In six of his nine starts, McCullers has allowed one earned
run or less.
With second baseman Jose Altuve and first baseman Chris Carter
clubbing their seventh and 14th home runs, respectively, in the
third and fifth innings, the Astros (45-34) improved to 30-3 in
games in which they've hit multiple homers. Altuve matched his
career high for homers.
The Royals (44-29) played without shortstop Alcides Escobar and
first baseman Eric Hosmer, both of whom were sidelined by hand
injuries. Kansas City managed just two extra-base hits -- the Perez
home run, his 13th, and a leadoff double from center fielder Jarrod
Dyson in the first.
Royals right-hander Joe Blanton (2-1) started to scuffle in the
second inning, issuing three consecutive walks in that frame as the
Astros grabbed a 2-0 lead. When outfielders Preston Tucker and
Domingo Santana collected back-to-back RBI singles in the third
inning, Blanton departed. He had already surrendered a leadoff hit
in a second consecutive frame, this time a solo home run by Altuve
for a 3-0 deficit.
"I take pride in not walking guys," Blanton said. "I can't think of
too many games where I walked that many guys. You throw some
borderline pitches that don't go your way. You throw some chase
pitches that they don't swing at. Other than that, trying to fight
command issues makes it that kind of day."
Houston upped its lead to 5-0 when Tucker and Santana drove home
Luis Valbuena and designated hitter Jon Singleton, saddling Blanton
with five earned runs on five hits and four walks over 2 2/3
innings. Over their first combined six plate appearances, Singleton,
Tucker and Santana went 2-for-2 with four walks, three RBIs and two
runs scored.
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"The discipline tonight was excellent," Astros manager A.J. Hinch
said. "We didn't swing out of the zone too much, specifically early.
You always ask your guys to take whatever they give you and he
(Blanton) was nibbling on the plate or just off the plate and we
just continued to take our base, take our base."
McCullers handled the prosperity well. He needed 39 pitches to
complete his first two innings but followed that bumpy start by
facing the minimum over the next three frames, inducing an
inning-ending double play grounder from Royals shortstop Christian
Colon in fifth.
"It's huge," McCullers said of the early run support. "It allows you
to really attack the zone, be relentless in the zone, and gives you
a lot of confidence. You want to go deep in the game, especially
when you get some runs early because that's when your team is
looking for you to back them up because they gave you the runs."
NOTES: Royals SS Alcides Escobar was a late scratch. He suffered a
fingernail injury Sunday against the Athletics. Christian Colon
replaced Escobar defensively while CF Jarrod Dyson moved from No. 9
to the leadoff spot in the batting order. ... Astros OF Jake
Marisnick completed agility drills and continues to progress in
dealing with a left hamstring strain that landed him on the 15-day
disabled list on June 19. Marisnick will continue to participate in
baseball activities and is on target to be sent out for a rehab
assignment. ... Royals 1B Eric Hosmer is likely to miss this series
after suffering a sprained left ring finger while sliding on
Saturday. Hosmer went 0-for-3 on Sunday against the Oakland
Athletics before departing after having difficulty throwing the ball
and swinging a bat.
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reserved.]
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