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 The defending AL champion Royals lost for the fifth time in seven
meetings with the Astros this season. Last year, the Royals beat the
Oakland Athletics in the AL wild-card game, then swept the Los
Angeles Angels and the Baltimore Orioles before falling to the San
Francisco Giants in a seven-game World Series.
While the Astros were a horrid 33-48 on the road during the regular
season, they have begun the playoffs with away victories over the
New York Yankees and the Royals. Home teams are 0-4 in postseason
play this October.
Rasmus, who also homered in the AL wild-card game in the Bronx, has
an extra-base hit in his first five postseason games. The left
fielder, who belted 25 homers in the regular season, hit
right-hander Ryan Madson's first pitch out to right-center in the
eighth.
Springer, who is 8-for-15 with three home runs in four games at
Kauffman Stadium, homered in the fifth.
McHugh limited the Royals to four hits and two runs, both solo
homers by designated hitter Kendrys Morales. He walked one and
struck out one.
After he exited, Astros relievers Tony Sipp, Will Harris, Oliver
Perez and Luke Gregerson held the Royals scoreless over the final
three innings. Gregerson picked up the save.
The Royals threatened in the eighth with two-out singles by second
baseman Ben Zobrist and center fielder Lorenzo Cain. Perez was
summoned to face first baseman Eric Hosmer, and the left-hander
retired him on a foul pop up to third base.
The Astros loaded the bases with no outs to begin the game. Second
baseman Jose Altuve singled to left on right-hander Yordano
Ventura's second pitch. Springer drew a walk in a nine-pitch at-bat,
and shortstop Carlos Correa singled to right to fill the bases.
Rasmus and designated hitter Evan Gattis made productive groundouts,
each getting home a run. Altuve scored on Rasmus' grounder to second
baseman Ben Zobrist, who made a diving stop.
Springer came home on Gattis' grounder to shortstop. Ventura threw
24 pitches, 18 for strikes, in the first inning.
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The Astros added a run in the second. Center fielder Jake Marisnick
doubled to the left-center gap with two outs and scored on Altuve's
single.
Morales led off the Royals' second with a home run, just inside the
right field foul pole on a 2-1 count, hitting McHugh's 90 mph
fastball.
There was a 49-minute rain delay after the second inning.
Chris Young replaced Ventura after the delay. Ventura gave up three
runs on four hits and a walk while striking out two, throwing 42
pitches.
In Young's first two innings, the Astros failed to put the ball in
play, six strikeouts and a walk. He wound up throwing four innings
of one-run ball.
Morales homered again in the fourth inning on a McHugh changeup. He
became the first Royal to have a multi-homer postseason game since
Hall of Famer George Brett hit two on Oct. 11, 1985, against
Toronto. The blasts were the third and fourth postseason homers of
Morales' career.
Altuve led off the fifth with a single, his third hit. Altuve, who
led the American League with 38 stolen bases, was thrown out trying
to steal second by catcher Salvador Perez.
That became significant moments later when Springer pounced on 3-1
Young 88 mph fastball and drove it over the left field fence,
pushing the Astros' advantage to 4-2.
(Editing by Amlan Chakraborty)
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