Final
Royals-Astros Preview
Oct 12, 2015 - 2:03 AM The Kansas City Royals are going to have to win at Minute Maid Park for the first time this year if they are going to keep their season alive.The Houston Astros pitcher they face next had nearly as good a home ERA as the last one they saw.
The Astros will give Lance McCullers his postseason debut in Game 4 of this AL division series Monday when he opposes Yordano Ventura, who will pitch on three days' rest after an abbreviated outing.
Kansas City is 0-4 at Houston this year after losing 4-2 on Sunday to move to the brink of elimination. Dallas Keuchel, who had a 1.46 ERA at home in the regular season for the majors' second-best mark, improved to 16-0 at Minute Maid Park this year with seven gutsy innings.
Chris Carter, batting .199 in the regular season but .455 in the postseason, was a triple shy of the cycle for the Astros, who were hosting a playoff game for the first time since the 2005 World Series.
''After struggling so much this year and just having the success I've been having in the last couple of weeks, it's been nice to contribute and helps us win games,'' Carter said.
Now McCullers can pitch the Astros to the AL Championship Series after going 6-7 with a 3.22 ERA in 22 starts as a rookie. He went 4-1 with a 1.86 ERA in 10 home outings.
That includes a seven-inning effort the lone time he faced the defending AL champion June 29, allowing one run in a 6-1 victory.
"It was a couple months ago when I faced them," McCullers said. "They're an aggressive club. They can do all things, they can bunt, they can hit for high averages and hit the ball out of the park. So you have to do your best to neutralize them early and often."
The Astros dropped six of the right-hander's last seven starts, never giving him more than three runs of support.
That's how many runs Houston scored off Ventura (0-1, 13.50) in its 5-2 victory in Game 1 on Thursday. Ventura was pulled after two innings due to a 49-minute rain delay.
"We sat down as a group and looked at it," said manager Ned Yost about using his best pitcher on three days' rest. "Ventura bounces back really, really well. We wanted to have our best power arms coming at these guys."
The right-hander has never started on three days' rest, though he only threw 42 pitches Thursday.
"Obviously it's a different situation, but his routine is going to remain the same," said coach Pedro Grifol as he translated for Ventura at the press conference. "He's got a good defense behind him and he's ready to go for tomorrow. He'll attack the strike zone, let his defense play."
Ventura is 5-0 with a 4.01 ERA in his last seven road starts. He won his lone start in Houston, yielding two runs in seven innings in a 4-2 victory April 15, 2014.
The Royals went 0 for 7 with runners in scoring position in Game 3.
''You get to this type of scenario and you don't capitalize, you get what happens today,'' Yost said.
They have been led in this series by Ben Zobrist, who is 5 for 12, and Kendrys Morales, who is 4 for 11 with two solo homers in Game 1. Eric Hosmer is 1 for 12 in the series, Mike Moustakas is 1 for 10 and Alex Rios is 1 for 8.
"We have got to win two, they got to win one," Yost said. "But we come out tomorrow and we win, then it's excitement back at the K for Game 5. So, we're looking forward to that."
Houston's Colby Rasmus reached base every time Sunday with a single and three walks. He is 5 for 10 in four postseason games, homering in the first three.
- Danny Tubiolo Truly Speechless.. your killing me houston, you had'EM!!
Royals 9, Astros 6 FinalOct 12 6:27 PM - KANSAS CITY: 9
HOUSTON: 6
Final
Oct 12 5:14 PM - Hosmer homered to center on a 2-0 count, Zobrist scored.
Royals 9, Astros 6 Top 9, 1 OutOct 12 4:58 PM - Eric Hosmer homers to center field. Ben Zobrist scores.
Royals 9, Astros 6 Top 9, 1 OutOct 12 4:57 PM - A.Gordon grounded out, second baseman Altuve to first baseman Ma.Gonzalez, Hosmer scored, J.Dyson to third, Butera to second.
Royals 7, Astros 6 Top 8, 2 OutsOct 12 4:36 PM - Alex Gordon grounds out to second base, Jose Altuve to Marwin Gonzalez. Drew Butera to second. Jarrod Dyson to third. Eric Hosmer scores.
Royals 7, Astros 6 Top 8, 1 OutOct 12 4:36 PM - K.Morales safe at first on fielding error by shortstop Correa, Zobrist scored, L.Cain scored, Hosmer to third.
Royals 6, Astros 6 Top 8, 0 OutsOct 12 4:19 PM - Kendrys Morales reaches on a fielder's choice to center field. Eric Hosmer to third. Lorenzo Cain scores. Ben Zobrist scores. Fielding error by Carlos Correa.
Royals 6, Astros 6 Top 8, 0 OutsOct 12 4:17 PM - Hosmer singled to right, A.Escobar scored, Zobrist to third, L.Cain to second.
Royals 4, Astros 6 Top 8, 0 OutsOct 12 4:15 PM - Eric Hosmer singles to right field. Lorenzo Cain to second. Ben Zobrist to third. Alcides Escobar scores.
Royals 4, Astros 6 Top 8, 0 OutsOct 12 4:15 PM - L.Cain singled to left, Rios scored, A.Escobar to third, Zobrist to second.
Royals 3, Astros 6 Top 8, 0 OutsOct 12 4:09 PM - Lorenzo Cain singles to left field. Ben Zobrist to second. Alcides Escobar to third. Alex Rios scores.
Royals 3, Astros 6 Top 8, 0 OutsOct 12 4:09 PM - Col.Rasmus homered off the right field foul pole on a 2-2 count.
Royals 2, Astros 6 Bot 7, 1 OutOct 12 3:54 PM - Carlos Correa homers to left field. Jose Altuve scores.
Royals 2, Astros 5 Bot 7, 1 OutOct 12 3:50 PM - Carlos Correa doubles to right field. George Springer scores.
Royals 2, Astros 3 Bot 5, 2 OutsOct 12 2:55 PM - S.Perez homered to right on a 1-2 count, Moustakas scored.
Royals 2, Astros 0 Top 2, 1 OutOct 12 1:42 PM - Salvador Perez homers to right field. Mike Moustakas scores.
Royals 2, Astros 0 Top 2, 1 OutOct 12 1:41 PM - Alcides Escobar hit by pitch.
Oct 12 1:09 PM - KANSAS CITY: 0
HOUSTON: 0
Top 1, 0 Outs
Oct 12 1:08 PM
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