Astros Sweep 10-Game Road Trip, Extend Winning Streak to 11
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Houston Astros keep finding ways to win, while the Kansas City Royals keep inventing ways to lose.
Carlos Correa and the Astros won their 11th straight game, finishing off a dominant 10-0 road trip by rallying past the Royals 7-4 Sunday.
The World Series champion Astros swept their swing through Texas, Oakland and Kansas City, outscoring opponents 74-35.
Last season, Houston had an 11-game winning streak end in Kansas City. This time, the Astros trailed 4-3 in the eighth inning before Correa led off with a tying homer. Evan Gattis, who had three hits, then put them ahead during a three-run burst.
“We just have a great team. It’s hard to find any holes on this team. I don’t think there are any,” Correa said.
Correa has three home runs and eight RBIs in six games after missing four games with discomfort in his right side. He had a first-inning single and added a sacrifice fly in the ninth.
Gattis hit .366 with five home runs and 19 RBIs on the Astros’ trip. He singled home Yuli Gurriel in the eighth, and Marvin Gonzalez added an RBI single in the inning.
“I take confidence in our lineup versus anybody,” Gattis said.
The Royals have lost six straight and 12 of 13. They have dropped 26 of 36 home games.
Brandon Maurer (0-3) took the loss, facing two batters and having both score. Tony Sipp (2-0) picked up the victory. Hector Rondon closed for his fourth save.
Astros right-hander Lance McCullers struck out nine over six innings, allowing two unearned runs.
“I didn’t want to blow it,” McCullers said of the winning streak.
Royals right-hander Brad Keller, a Rule 5 draft pick making his fourth start, gave up three runs in six innings.
“I felt like I did pretty well,” Keller said. “That’s a good-hitting team and they got pop, so to keep them on the ground I’m happy with that.”
Third baseman Alex Bregman’s errant throw home with the bases loaded led to the Royals scoring two unearned runs in the first to tie it at 2. Hunter Dozier hit a two-run homer in the third to give the Royals a 4-2 lead.
Brian McCann’s two-out single in the fourth scored Gattis to reduce the Royals’ lead to one.