Royals rally to force 5th game with Astros

Houston’s remarkable run comes just two years after the team lost a franchise-worst 111 games in a third-straight 100-loss season. The Houston Astros, on the other hand, are just now finding out what the playoffs are all about. His 2012 draft classmate, right-hander Lance McCullers, was sharp in his postseason debut, limiting the Royals to two runs on two hits and two walks with seven strikeouts over 6 1/3 innings.

For a good amount of time on Monday, it certainly looked as if the Houston Astros were going to put away the Kansas City Royals in Game 4 of the ALDS and move on to the American League Championship Series.

“Obviously, we’re pretty late in the game right there and down by four, so not one guy can get us back in this game”. Because of his Game One two inning performance, the Royals have a chance to play him today. Game 5 will played Wednesday night at Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City.

The Astros scored three times in the seventh, extending their 3-2 lead with a pair of home runs. The rookie shortstop, 21, was picked No. 1 overall in the 2012 draft as a cornerstone of Houston’s rebuilding project. He finished the season with a 2.38 ERA in his last 11 starts.

(AP Photo/Patric Schneider). Houston Astros’ Carlos Correa (1) jumps to field the ball as Kansas City Royals’ Alcides Escobar (2) is out at second base on a forces out in the second first inning during Game 4 of baseball’s American League Division Seri…

“But everyone who watched that game, everybody that was part of that knows how hard it is to feel like that game was closing in our favor and then have it not go our way”. “But it’s a big-boy sport”.

“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. They were six outs away from reaching their first ALCS since 2005, and their cast of relievers has been one of the strongest aspects of their roster this season.

Salvador Perez hit a two-run homer in the second to give the Royals an early lead. As opposed to Davis and Co., they don’t instill a sense of impending doom on opponents. And the Royals dugout is seen exploding with discontent at the call.

Cain’s first career homer in the postseason came when he launched the 10th pitch of the at-bat, a hanging 80 miles per hour slider, into the seats in left field to start the fourth inning and make it 1-0. It’s not over yet!

The best-of-five series is now tied 2-2. The ball took two more hops and got past the top of Correa’s mitt, rolling into center field as two runs scored to tie it at 6.

Correa cranked a pair of homers, including a two-run shot in the seventh that appeared an bad lot like a series clincher, and he also sliced a go-ahead double in the fifth. Carlos Gomez also connected for the Astros.

HOUSTON (AP) – nearly out of time and out of the playoffs, the Kansas City Royals realized they needed more than a big home run.

“I missed it. That’s what happened”, Correa said. “We already won a game there, and we know we can do it again”.