It looked like the AL Division Series was in the bag for the Houston Astros. The Kansas City Royals’ offense didn’t show any signs of life through the first seven innings minus a two-run homer by Salvador Perez in the second inning, which seemed like a distant memory by the time the Astros tacked three more runs on in the seventh to increase their lead to 6-2.
And six outs away from advancing to the ALCS, the Astros collapsed. Will Harris was on the hill after collecting the final two outs of the seventh inning. Alex Rios led off with a single. Alcides Escobar followed with a single, Then it was Ben Zobrist’s turn, also singling to load the bases with none out. Lorenzo Cain stepped in, and *he* singled to make it a 6-3 game. Tony Sipp replaced Harris, and gave up a single to Eric Hosmer to cut Houston’s lead to 6-4 before the Astros had even recorded an out in the eighth. Kendrys Morales then grounded a ball to shortstop Carlos Correa for what could have been a double play…but Correa booted it, allowing Zobrist and Cain to score and tie the game at six.
Jarrod Dyson then ran for Morales and stole second. Sipp struck out Mike Moustakas for the first out of the inning, and was replaced on the hill by Luke Gregerson. Gregerson walked backup catcher Drew Butera after a long battle, then gave up a run-scoring ground out to Alex Gordon, giving the Royals a 7-6 lead. Gregerson would walk Rios before getting out of the inning, but the damage was done.
In the eighth, the Astros were shut down by Wade Davis on just seven pitches. Josh Fields replaced Gregerson on the hill for the ninth inning, and two batters after walking Ben Zobrist to lead the inning off, Hosmer launched a two-run homer to increase the lead to 9-6 and make victory a pipe dream.
Davis allowed a leadoff single to Correa in the ninth, but then retired Colby Rasmus, Preston Tucker, and Carlos Gomez in order to end the game.
It looked like the Astros would coast to victory. McCullers was electric outside of the second inning homer to Perez, allowing two runs on two hits in 6 1/3 innings, walking a pair and striking out seven. The Royals didn’t have more than runner on base from innings three through seven, and they didn’t put one into scoring position until pinch runner Terrance Gore stole second in the seventh…and was controversially thrown out stealing third to end the frame.
Meanwhile, the Astros offense kept plugging away. Gomez homered off of Yordano Ventura in the second to make it 2-1, and Correa homered in the third to knot the game at two. In the fifth, Correa struck again, doubling home George Springer with two outs to put Houston on top 3-2.
The Astros then went into hibernation before doubling their run total in the seventh, thanks to a two-run homer from Correa and a solo homer by Rasmus. Houston could have added more runs in that seventh inning, which would have been beneficial in hindsight, but with men on second and third and one out, Luis Valbuena flied out and Marwin Gonzalez struck out.
Correa absolutely shined for Houston, going 4/4 with two runs, four RBI, a double, and a homer to power the team’s offense. Rasmus also came up big again as he did all series, going 2/4 with a walk and a solo homer. For the Royals, Hosmer finally woke up form his series-long slump, going 2/5 with two runs, three RBI, and the ninth inning homer that put the game out of reach for the Astros.
Ventura was good, but didn’t have his A-game for Kansas City, lasting just five innings and allowing three runs on four hits, walking three and striking out eight.
Game 5 will be on Wednesday night in Kansas City. Collin McHugh and Johnny Cueto will take the hill for each side – the winner advances to the ALCS, and the loser goes home for the winter.
