(AP) Mike Moustakas’ no-doubt homer ended the Kansas City Royals’ unlikely comeback against baseball’s best team.
Moustakas hit a two-run shot with two outs in the ninth inning after Kansas City rallied from a six-run deficit, and the Royals snapped the Houston Astros’ 11-game winning streak with a 9-7 victory Tuesday night.
Moustakas drove an 0-1 slider from Ken Giles (1-2) out to right with Salvador Perez aboard. Moustakas had four hits and three RBI.
Kansas City trailed 7-1 in the fourth inning but completed its comeback with a four-run eighth. Whit Merrifield hit a three-run double with two outs in the inning to tie it at 7.
Merrifield drove a 1-2 offering from Giles to left field, scoring Moustakas, Cheslor Cuthbert and Alex Gordon.
Merrifield has hit safely in 20 of his last 21 games. Giles blew his second save in 18 opportunities.
The Astros’ winning streak was the longest in the majors this season. They dropped to a major league-best 42-17 this season.
Mike Minor (3-1) pitched a scoreless inning for the Royals.
Moustakas also singled in a run during the eighth.
Carlos Beltran hit his 429th career home run in the Astros’ four-run fourth, giving them the six-run advantage. Josh Reddick, who had three hits, and Carlos Correa had the other run-scoring hits in the inning.
Houston rookie starter David Paulino gave up three runs and eight hits over 5 2/3 innings and left with a 7-3 lead.
Yuli Gurriel, who had three hits, contributed a two-run single in the Astros’ third, giving him 12 RBI during a seven-game hitting streak. Jose Altuve’s sacrifice fly scored George Springer with the first run of the game. Springer extended his hitting streak to 11 games with a double and single. He has nine multihit games and 23 hits total in his streak.
Royals right-hander Jake Junis, who was making his second big league start, was removed after Beltran’s homer. Junis faced 23 batters, and 12 reached — nine hits and three walks — with seven scoring.
Gordon homered in the third for the Royals, his first since Sept. 25, a span of 192 at-bats.
