The 28-39 Houston Astros staved off the 29-36 Kansas City Royals 9-7 to begin an Interleague Series on Monday at Minute Maid Park. KC shook in the first run during the top of the first on Jeff Francouer's RBI-single, but Houston has two responses duirng the home-half. Brian Bixler's home run tied the game as 1-3 with a 5.70 ERA Jonathan Sachez's throwing error allowed Justin Maxwell to scurry home. The Astros added two more runs during the fourth inning on Chris Snyder's RBI-single and Maxwell's bases-loaded walk.
Billy Butler's groundout to first base brought in Alex Gordon to trim the Royals' deficit to two runs. Houston scored three more runs during the eighth inning beginning with Brian Bogusevic's HR. Bixler's double in tworuns before Maxwell's two-run HR cleared the bases for the hard-hitting Astros. Kansas City had a furious top-of-the-ninth rally starting with Jerome Dyson's RBI-single. Mitch Maier's sacrifice fly left the Royals with one out, but that didn't faze the visitors who struck for a few more runs before loading up the bases. Yuniesky Betancourt and Butler drove in more runs for KC who had eight hits for the frame, all singles.
The Royals' 3-7 Luke Hochevar with a 6.27 ERA goes next after taking six losses in his last seven decisions. At the 32-34 Detroit Tigers, 41-25 New York Yankees and 34-31 Pittsburgh Pirates Hochevar suffered losses by conceding 16 runs duirng 16.2 innings. Hochevar has picked up wins at the 35-32 Chicago White Sox, 34-32 Cleveland Indians and 36-31 Los Angeles Angels this year by yielding four runs during 19.2 innings. Houston is 4-for-9 with two RBIs courtesy of Jed Lowrie on Hochevar.
The Astros' 6-4 Wandy Rodriguez with a 3.35 ERA tries to win his fourth straight decision. On May 7 in Houston Rodriguez was searching for his fourth straight decision and found a 4-0 loss to the 33-33 Miami Marlins who drilled in four runs during eight innings. After the Miami game at Minute Maid Rodriguez has shedded 13 runs, 11 earned, during 18 innings in a win, loss and no-decision ending up in an Astros loss.
Before facing the Marlins in Houston Rodriguez went 2-1 at home allowing five runs, four earned, during 19 innings after getting a no-decision against the 25-40 Colorado Rockies on April 6. The Astros fell 5-3 to Colorado who gunned in three runs, none earned, on Rodriguez during 6.1 innings. Kansas City is 12-for-42 with seven RBIs, five from Francoeur, versus Rodriguez. I'll go with the Royals, 18-16 on the road, striking back in Game Two.
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