Houston Astros vs Kansas City Royals Match Player Stats On Jun 05, 2017

The Sports Xchange
Jun 5, 2017

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Mike Fiers won again on the road, and the Houston Astros keep on winning, topping the Kansas City Royals 7-3 Monday night for their 11th consecutive victory.

Fiers has not lost on the road since Aug. 20, 2016, a span of 10 away starts.

Houston's streak is the longest in the majors this year.

Yuli Gurriel homered for the second straight game, a three-run blast in the ninth to assure this one would end in the win column. Gurriel hit an 0-1 Kelvin Herrera pitch with Alex Bregman and Brian McCann aboard.

McCann hit a two-run homer in the fourth inning.

Fiers (3-2) earned a victory for the first time in five career starts against the Royals. He yielded two runs on seven hits and a walk while striking out four in five-plus innings. He won back-to-back starts for the first time this season.

The Astros jumped out to a 4-0 lead off Ian Kennedy (0-6), who is winless in 14 starts, including all 10 this season.

Houston took a 2-0 advantage in the second. McCann doubled with one out, and Gurriel walked. Nori Aoki singled to right, scoring McCann, but was thrown out trying to stretch it into a double. George Springer's two-out single scored Gurriel.

McCann homered with Marwin Gonzalez aboard in the fourth to make it 4-0. After Gonzalez walked leading off the inning, McCann drove Kennedy's first pitch out to right-center.

The Royals cut the lead in half in the bottom of the fourth. Eric Hosmer doubled and Mike Moustakas walked. Brandon Moss' opposite-field two-out double scored Hosmer and advanced Moustakas to third. Alcides Escobar's bunt single to third baseman Gonzalez scored Moustakas.

Kennedy was removed after five innings, having allowed four runs on six hits and three walks. He threw 96 pitches. His ERA went up to 5.33 in 10 starts this season. Left-hander Matt Strahm replaced him.

The Royals threatened in the sixth with Hosmer and Salvador Perez singles and a Gonzalez throwing error putting runners on the corners with none out. Manager A.J. Hinch summoned left-hander Reymin Guduan from the bullpen to replace Fiers.

Guduan retired Moustakas on a liner to third baseman Gonzalez and struck out Moss. James Hoyt relieved Guduan and struck out Escobar to strand the runners.

Royals second baseman Whit Merrifield went 0-for-5 to end his 19-game hitting streak.

Gonzalez left in the seventh inning with discomfort in his left hand.

NOTES: Manager Ned Yost altered the Royals' batting order, putting 2B Whit Merrifield at the top and batting rookie RF Jorge Bonifacio second for the first time. ... Astros CF George Springer was selected the AL player of the week after hitting .500 with multiple hits in all six games. He had five home runs and nine RBIs. ... Royals SS Alcides Escobar, who has swiped 17 or more bases in six straight years, stole his first base in the fourth inning. ... Rookie RHPs David Paulino (0-0, 4.50 ERA) of the Astros and Jake Junis (1-0, 2.70 ERA) of the Royals are the Tuesday probables.