Royals rally late, keep season alive at Houston

It was the rookie shortstop’s one mistake, however, that will be the lasting memory of Houston’s 9-6 loss to Kansas City on Monday, sending their AL Division Series to a deciding Game 5. When the top of the eighth inning ended, however, the Astros were down 7-6. Gregerson entered and faced light-hitting backup catcher Drew Butera, who worked a 10-pitch walk to set the stage for left fielder Alex Gordon to follow with an RBI groundout that gave the Royals the lead at 7-6. “After giving up three runs there in the bottom of the seventh, they came in [the eighth inning] on fire”.

The Astros, of course, are among the game’s best when it comes to the longball, with 230 homers in the regular season (and three more Monday), but increased power has provided a different dimension to the Royals’ lineup than the largely station-to-station approach they rode to the World Series a year ago.

But the Astros’ bullpen collapse turned the Astros from presumed series victors to needing another road win to keep their season alive. A Kendrys Morales comebacker deflected off Houston reliever Tony Sipp’s glove and directly toward Correa. “I’m sure it was tougher than it looked”.

Correa reached base all five times in his fifth career postseason game with four hits and two home runs. He put Houston on top with an RBI double in the fifth and became the youngest player with a multihomer game in AL playoff history with a two-run shot off Ryan Madson in the seventh for a 6-2 lead. Cain slid across the warning track on his stomach and punched the wall in frustration when he got back to his feet.

As they walk out of the clubhouse, I wonder if, in the event they happen to look down, they’ll see the wheel marks of those champagne and beer carts in the thick major league carpet. Game 4 of the ALDS was both a bad choke job on the part of the Astros, and a hard-fought, well-won comeback on the part of the Royals.

I usually don’t write during a baseball game, and baseball games like this one are why. And no matter what time of year it is, his rake-ability factor is off the charts. Get at-bats, let’s start it moving.

We saw this principle illustrated during Game 4 of the ALDS, when Carlos Gomez dropped his bat after homering in the third inning to bring the Astros within one run of the Royals.

Houston Astros’ Dallas Keuchel smiles as he gestures to the stands… “All of them pitched”.

“We always feel that we’re still in games, and we still have a chance”, Royals first baseman Eric Hosmer said. Representing the tying run – and, it should be said, already in scoring position – Terrance Gore tried to steal third with two outs in the seventh inning and initially was called safe. Royals closer Wade Davis tossed two frames of scoreless relief to seal the deal.

McHugh, who won 19 games in the regular season, is the projected starting pitcher for Wednesday night’s decisive Game 5 in Kansas City.

“I felt real confident that we were going to make a game out of it”, manager Ned Yost said.

If the good Cueto shows up, the Astros will have to take care of business the hard way. It’s going to be an electric atmosphere in Kauffman Stadium. “What, did you just expect us to roll over?” he asked.