Royals Rally In 8th Inning; Series Tied At 2

By the end of the seventh inning, it looked as if the Houston Astros had secured their way into the American League Championship Game when they led the Kansas City Royals  6-2. But, an eighth inning rally plus a few more runs in the ninth, allowed the Royals to surge past the Astros and take the 9-6 win to force a Game 5 back at Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City.

RHP Yordano Ventura took the start for Kansas City going five innings, allowing three runs off 0f four hits; striking out eight and walking three.

Astros’ starter RHP Lance McCullers went six and one thirds allowing two hits and two runs, walking two and striking out seven.

To recap, the Royals took the lead with a two run homer on a fly ball to center. In the bottom of the inning, the Astros countered with a solo homer by Carlos Gomez. Carlos Correa helped Houston tie the game at two with a solo homer in the bottom of the third.

Correa wasn’t done just yet when he hit a RBI double with George Springer on base to help Houston take a 3-2 lead.

The Astros’ bats lit up in the bottom of the seventh with back to back homers by Correa and Colby Rasmus for the biggest lead of the game and what seemed to seal the outcome of the series.

But, the Royals weren’t done just yet……..

With Will Harris on the hill for Houston, Alex Rios and Alcides Escobar hit consecutive singles and after a brief coaching visit Harris allowed another single, this time by Ben Zobrist.

With bases loaded, Lorenzo Cain singled on a ground ball to left to decrease the deficit to three runs. Tony Sipp then replaced Harris on the mound and he also allowed a RBI single, this one by Eric Hosmer. The Royals would tack on two more to tie the game when Kendrys Morales reached on a forced attempt off a fielding error by Carlos Correa.

Sipp was then relieved by Luke Gregerson who would walk Drew Butera but the Royals took the 7-6 lead when Alex Gordon grounded out to send home Hosmer.

Kansas City would then tack on two more with a two run homerun by Eric Hosmer for the 9-6 ballgame and the Astros wouldn’t be able to get a rally going.

With the series tied at 2 games apiece, the series now moves back to Kansas City for the series finale on Wednesday night at 8:00pm.