(AP) Lance McCullers flirted with a no-hitter and the Houston Astros’ offense took control in the ninth inning.
McCullers took a no-hitter into the seventh inning and Jose Altuve hit a two-run homer in a five-run ninth as the Houston Astros beat the Kansas City Royals 6-1 on Thursday night.
McCullers and Royals starter Jason Hammel were locked up in a pitcher’s duel for seven innings.
Altuve’s ninth home run came off Kelvin Herrera (1-2) with Josh Reddick, who walked on four pitches to lead off the inning, aboard.
Herrera has yielded seven home runs in 24 1/3 innings after giving up only six in 72 innings last season.
Herrera retired only one of the five batters he faced and was charged with four runs, three hits and a walk. The inning also included a two-run single by Jake Marisnick.
Lorenzo Cain’s one-out triple in the seventh ended McCuller’s no-hit bid. Cain drilled a 3-0 pitch to center. He scored on Mike Moustakas’ two-out single to tie the score.
McCullers walked Jorge Bonifacio with one out in the first, and Alcides Escobar in the sixth for the only base runners the Royals had before Cain’s triple.
Hammel allowed one run and four hits over seven innings. He walked none and struck out four. Yost said it was a tough decision to remove Hammel after 85 pitches.
“His pitch count was still very manageable,” Yost said. “With no leeway there, I felt like he had done his job and we’d turn it over to the bullpen.”
Yost no longer can motion in Wade Davis and Greg Holland from the bullpen like he did when the Royals went to back-to-back World Series in 2014-15.
The only run off Hammel came on a balk in the sixth inning. Nori Aoki hit a ground ball single to left to lead off the inning and went to third on George Springer’s single. Hammel made a move to throw to first and the ball slipped out of his glove.
McCullers was removed after seven innings, permitting one run and two hits, while striking out eight and walking two.
