Gordon’s two-RBI double propels Royals to first win
HOUSTON -- Alex Gordon's two-run double in the eighth inning broke open a tight game and propelled the Kansas City Royals to their first victory of the season, a 5-1 win over the Houston Astros on Friday night at Minute Maid Park.
Gordon's double off reliever Jandel Gustave brought home Brandon Moss and Alcides Escobar and followed a bases-loaded passed ball by Astros catcher Evan Gattis that allowed Salvador Perez to score.
In the sixth, another Gattis gaff with the bases loaded, this time a catcher's interference, sent home Mike Moustakas with the Royals' second run.
Jason Vargas (1-0) garnered the win for Kansas City (1-3), who was swept by Minnesota in its opening series. Vargas, who was making his fourth start since returning last September from Tommy John surgery, allowed one run and six hits in six-plus innings while striking out six and walking one.
Perez and Escobar had two hits each to lead Kansas City, which collected 10 hits off four Houston pitchers but left 10 runners on base.
Mike Fiers (0-1) took the loss for Houston (3-2), which has lost two straight since opening the season with three wins at home against Seattle. Fiers also pitched six innings, allowing two runs (only one of them earned) on five hits with three strikeouts and three bases on balls.
Trailing 2-0 in the seventh, the Astros finally came to life thanks to Carlos Beltran's RBI double that plated Carlos Correa with what would be Houston's lone run. Beltran's run batted in was the 1,537th of his career, which tied him with the legendary Joe DiMaggio for 49th in the all-time list.
The Astros managed just six hits, five of them singles, off five Kansas City pitchers.
Perez put the Royals on top in the second with a long home run onto the railroad tracks above left field.
The Astros threatened in the bottom of the second. Beltran and Gattis ripped back-to-back singles with one out, but Vargas coaxed Josh Reddick into a soft flyout to right field and struck out Yulieski Gurriel to end the inning.
Neither team got a runner as far as second base through the next three innings as Vargas and Fiers were in control.
NOTES: The Astros held a pregame ceremony Friday to present LHP Dallas Keuchel with his 2016 Rawlings Gold Glove Award. Keuchel is the only pitcher in franchise history to win a Gold Glove Award and is the first Astro at any position to win three straight Gold Glove Awards (2014-16) since Craig Biggio won four straight as a second baseman from 1994-97. ... Kansas City had 10 players on its Opening Day roster who were not with the team when the 2016 club opened the campaign. ... Houston OF George Springer has played in a major league-leading 191 straight team games, including all 162 of the Astros games in 2016 and all five this season. ... Kansas City will play 16 of its 20 games at home from April 28-May 18, separated only by a four-game journey to Tampa Bay on May 8-11.