Houston drops opener
Astros bats rally late but Royals hold on in series opener
May 12, 2025, 10:56 pm
The Royals beat the Astros, 7-5. Photo by Bob Levey/Getty Images.
Bobby Witt Jr. and Jonathan India each drove in two runs to help Michael Wacha and the Kansas City Royals beat the Houston Astros 7-5 on Monday night.
Michael Massey homered as Kansas City improved to 8-2 in its last 10 games. India finished with three hits, and Witt, Vinnie Pasquantino and Kyle Isbel each had two.
Wacha (3-4) allowed two runs and eight hits in 6 1/3 innings. Carlos Estévez got three outs for his 12th save.
Massey sparked Kansas City's four-run second with a leadoff drive against rookie Ryan Gusto (3-2) for his second homer. India hit a two-out RBI single and scored on Witt's first triple of the season. Pasquantino added a run-scoring single.
The Royals added three more in the third. Drew Waters and India each hit an RBI single, and Witt drove in Waters with a sacrifice fly.
Jake Meyers had two hits and scored two runs for Houston, which had won three of four.
Zach Dezenzo hit an RBI double in the seventh for the Astros, and Jeremy Peña added a sacrifice fly. Meyers' RBI single helped his team close to 7-5 in the eighth.
Gusto allowed seven hits and walked three in 2 1/3 innings.
Key moment
Jose Altuve hit a leadoff single in the ninth for Houston. But Isaac Paredes flied out, Christian Walker struck out and Yainer Diaz flied out.
Key stat
Wacha entered with the least run support among starters at 1.79 runs per game. The Royals had not scored more than two runs with him on the mound in any of his eight starts.
Up next
LHP Kris Bubic (4-2, 1.69 ERA) starts on Tuesday for the Royals against LHP Framber Valdez (2-4, 3.94 ERA).
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Oswald Peraza hit a two-run single in the ninth inning to help the Los Angeles Angels snap a three-game losing skid by beating the Houston Astros 4-1 on Saturday night.
Peraza entered the game as a defensive replacement in the seventh inning and hit a bases-loaded fly ball to deep right field that eluded the outstretched glove of Cam Smith. It was the fourth straight hit off Astros closer Bryan Abreu (3-4), who had not allowed a run in his previous 12 appearances.
The Angels third run of the ninth inning scored when Mike Trout walked with the bases loaded.
Kyle Hendricks allowed one run while scattering seven hits over six innings. He held the Astros to 1 for 8 with runners in scoring position, the one hit coming on Jesús Sánchez’s third-inning infield single that scored Jeremy Peña.
Reid Detmers worked around a leadoff walk to keep the Astros scoreless in the seventh, and José Fermin (3-2) retired the side in order in the eighth before Kenley Jansen worked a scoreless ninth to earn his 24th save.
Houston’s Spencer Arrighetti struck out a season-high eight batters over 6 1/3 innings. The only hit he allowed was Zach Neto’s third-inning solo home run.
Yordan Alvarez had two hits for the Astros, who remained three games ahead of Seattle for first place in the AL West.
Key moment
Peraza’s two-run single to deep right field that broke a 1-1 tie in the ninth.
Key Stat
Opponents were 5 for 44 against Abreu in August before he allowed four straight hits in the ninth.
Up next
Astros RHP Hunter Brown (10-6, 2.37 ERA) faces RHP José Soriano (9-9, 3.85) when the series continues Sunday.