Jun 6, 2017; Kansas City, MO, USA; Kansas City Royals players congratulate designated hitter Mike Moustakas (8) at home plate after hitting a walk-off home run against the Houston Astros in the ninth inning at Kauffman Stadium. The Royals won 9-7. Photo Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-USA TODAY Sports
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Mike Moustakas went 4-for-5 with a two-run ninth-inning walk-off homer as the Kansas City Royals rallied to beat the Houston Astros 9-7 Tuesday night.
That ended the Astros’ 11-game winning streak.
Moustakas hit his team-leading 15th home run with two out after Salvador Perez had singled. Ken Giles (0-1) took the loss.
Whit Merrifield, who had his 19-game hitting streak snapped Monday, hit a bases-clearing double with two out in the eighth to tie the score at 7. Moustakas’ single scored Perez for the first Kansas City run of the inning.
The Royals trailed 7-1 entering the bottom of the fourth.
Mike Minor (2-1), the fourth Kansas City pitcher, worked a perfect ninth to pick up the victory.
Astros right-hander David Paulino allowed three runs on eight hits over 5 2/3 innings in a no-decision.
Eric Hosmer doubled to open the sixth and scored on a Moustakas single. Moustakas’ eighth-inning single scored Perez for the final Kansas City run.
Yuli Gurriel, who hit a three-run ninth-inning homer Monday, stroked a two-run single in a three-run third. Gurriel laced a single to left, scoring Carlos Beltran and Evan Gattis.
George Springer opened the inning with a double to extend his hitting streak to 11 games, advanced to third on Josh Reddick’s bunt single and scored on Jose Altuve’s sacrifice fly to Lorenzo Cain.
The Astros tacked on four more runs in the fourth. Reddick’s double scored Springer with the first run of the inning. Reddick scored from second on Carlos Correa’s infield single.
Beltran’s eighth home run with Correa aboard capped off the inning and finished the night for Royals rookie right-hander Jakob Junis.
Junis permitted seven runs on nine hits and three walks in 3 2/3 innings before being replaced by Kevin McCarthy.
Alex Gordon homered for the Royals in the third off Paulino, who was making his third big league start. It was Gordon’s first home run of the season.
The Royals got another run in the fourth on back-to-back doubles by Hosmer and Perez.
NOTES: The Royals optioned RHP Seth Maness to Triple-A Omaha to make roster space for RHP Jakob Junis. Maness was 1-0 with a 3.72 ERA in eight relief appearances. … Astros 3B Marvin Gonzalez will likely miss a couple of games with a bruised left hand. The Astros have ordered a protective pad for his left hand. … The Astros have scored at least six runs in nine consecutive games. The last team with a longer streak was the 2004 Astros, 11 in a row. … LHPs Dallas Keuchel of the Astros and Jason Vargas of the Royals are the Wednesday probables.
