Houston drops opener

Astros bats rally late but Royals hold on in series opener

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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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The Astros beat the Phillies, 2-1. Photo by Logan Riely/Getty Images.

Cam Smith hit an RBI single in the eighth inning to give the Houston Astros a 2-1 win over the Philadelphia Phillies on Thursday.

The rookie's second hit of the game came off Orion Kerkering (5-3) and gave the Astros their fourth straight win.

Brandon Marsh tied the game on a sacrifice fly in the top of the inning to end the Phillies' 26-inning scoreless streak.

The Astros took a 1-0 lead on Yainer Diaz’s RBI single in the second inning. They only managed three more hits off Phillies starter Christopher Sanchez, who struck out 11 with zero walks over six innings. Sanchez has not issued a walk in three straight starts.

Hunter Brown lowered his league best ERA to 1.74 by scattering three singles over seven shutout innings, with nine strikeouts. He did not allow a runner to reach second base.

Bryan Abreu (3-3) struck out Trea Turner to end the eighth, and then struck out Kyle Schwarber, Alec Bohm, and Nick Castellanos in the ninth.

Abreu joined Julia Morales after the game and talked about his impressive performance!

Rafael Marchán had two of the Phillies' four hits. Bryson Stott reached base twice and scored the Phillies' lone run.

Key moment

Smith’s RBI.

Key stat

Brown’s 1.74 ERA is the fourth best in Astros history through 16 starts and the best since Justin Verlander posted a 1.60 ERA through 16 starts in 2018.

Up next

The Astros open a three-game series against the Cubs on Friday with LHP Brandon Walter (0-1 3.80 ERA) on the mound.

The Phillies open a three-game series at the Braves on Friday with RHP Mick Abel (2-1 3.47 ERA) against Atlanta RHP Bryce Elder (2-4 4.77).

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