Kansas City’s Escobar scratched against Astros – KCTV5

That was more than enough for Keuchel (10-3), who backed up a shutout win over the New York Yankees in his previous start by dominating the Royals. Keuchel struck out seven and didn’t walk a batter to lower his ERA to an American League-leading 2.03. Lucroy entered the game mired in a 3-for-23 slump, but a series with Philadelphia, the worst team in the majors and one he has hit well over his career, was just what he needed.

Jeremy Guthrie did his part on the mound, limiting Oakland’s struggling offense to two runs and striking out a season-high seven over six solid innings.

“It’s not just like he logged innings today, he logged innings while using his best stuff”, Astros manager A.J. That Kansas City’s opponent in this evening’s duel between first-place clubs is the Houston Astros is a shock to almost everyone.

Edinson Volquez looks to maintain his flawless record against Houston when he starts Wednesday’s series finale between the Kansas City Royals and the host Astros.

Rookie right-hander Lance McCullers capped a stellar month with seven strong innings and the Houston Astros defeated the Kansas City Royals. KC managed eight hits but failed to draw a walk with Lorenzo Cain going 3-4 with a pair of doubles. The 34-year-old won that outing with five innings of one-run ball and was even better last time out in Seattle. Springer raced and made an over-the-shoulder catch for the third out of the seventh inning.

Evan Gattis is 0 for 5 against Volquez, but batting.

Hamilton reached in each of his first four plate appearances on a pair of infield singles and two walks.

The galloping Gattis now has four triples this season, which leads the team. He needed 39 pitches to complete his first two innings, but he followed that bumpy start by facing the minimum over the next three frames, inducing an inning-ending double play grounder from Royals shortstop Christian Colon to cap the fifth.

The Astros have taken the first two games of this matchup of teams with the best records in the American League.

Joe Blanton (2-1) gave up five runs in 2 2/3 innings to take the loss, which snapped a two-start winning streak since the veteran right-hander joined the rotation.

Josh Reddick and Ike Davis hit two-run homers in the first inning to back seven scoreless innings from Kendall Graveman, and Oakland snapped a three-game losing streak by beating Colorado. Moreland (8 HRs, 43 RBI) homered with a man on in the second and eighth innings. The four home runs tied a season high, set April 9 in Oakland. He’ll get his wish. He was out of the starting lineup June 28 but pinch-hit. He walked Mike Napoli and Alejandro De Aza with the bases loaded in the first. That is not something that the A’s, whose five-game win streak was broken Friday night, need right now. Hendricks (3-4) pitched three-hit ball for six innings and combined with three relievers to bail out the Cubs.

BALTIMORE (AP) Mitch Moreland hit two of the Rangers’ four home runs off Bud Norris, and Texas got another winning effort on the road from left-hander Wandy Rodriguez in an 8-1 victory over the Baltimore Orioles on Monday night. Wilson pitched six quality innings to lead the Angels past the Yankees 4-1 in the opener of a three-game series. Miami’s Justin Bour also homered. Michael Brantley also had three hits, including a RBI single, and Jason Kipnis drove in a run off rookie Nathan Karns (4-4) with one of his three hits.

NATIONALS 6, BRAVES 1 Jordan Zimmermann took a shutout into the eighth inning and visiting Washington beat Atlanta to continue its season-long dominance of the division rivalry. Cincinnati’s bullpen did not allow a hit in five innings of relief.