The Astros had chances. They had hits. They had a solid enough start from Cristian Javier.
What they did not have was an offense capable of turning any of it into runs until the game was nearly out of reach.
Houston went 0-for-9 with runners in scoring position Wednesday and fell 5-2 to the Kansas City Royals at Daikin Park. With the Rangers beating the Red Sox, Houston’s lead in the AL West disappeared entirely. The Astros and Rangers are now tied atop the division at 76-76 with 10 games remaining for Houston.
Astros Waste Early Opportunities
Jeremy Peña opened the bottom of the first with a double, giving Houston an immediate opportunity against Royals starter Daniel Lynch IV. Yordan Alvarez struck out, Isaac Paredes moved Peña to third on a groundout, and Jose Altuve flied out to strand him.
It became a theme.
Peña finished 3-for-4 with a double, while Yainer Diaz went 2-for-4. Houston collected eight hits overall—the same number as Kansas City—but repeatedly failed to turn baserunners into runs.
The Astros’ best opportunity came in the seventh, when Altuve and Diaz opened the inning with consecutive singles. Christian Walker flied out, Nelson Velázquez struck out, and Daulton Varsho flied out to end another empty threat.
Houston finished 0-for-9 with runners in scoring position and stranded seven.
Javier Keeps Astros Within Reach
Javier worked around trouble from the beginning. He walked Carter Jensen and Bobby Witt Jr. to open the game but escaped without allowing a run, then stranded two more runners in the second.
Kansas City finally broke through in the fourth. Michael Massey singled before John Rave hit a two-run homer to right, giving the Royals a 2-0 lead.
Javier allowed two runs on five hits and three walks over 5â…“ innings, striking out two. Bryan King inherited two runners after Javier departed in the sixth and stranded both, keeping Houston within two.
Eighth Inning Puts It Away
The two-run deficit became five in the eighth.
Massey led off with a solo homer against Enyel De Los Santos. After two outs, De Los Santos walked Josh Rojas and Isaac Collins before Jensen doubled to right, scoring both. A throwing error by Jorge Barrosa allowed Jensen to advance to third.
De Los Santos was charged with three earned runs in 1â…“ innings, turning a game that had remained within reach into a 5-0 deficit.
Astros Finally Score Too Late
Houston finally broke through in the bottom of the eighth. Barrosa walked and Alvarez doubled, putting runners at second and third with one out. Paredes brought Barrosa home with a sacrifice fly, but Altuve grounded out to end the inning.
Diaz gave the Astros one last flicker of offense with a leadoff home run in the ninth, his 12th of the season. Walker and pinch-hitter Joey Loperfido struck out before Varsho singled, but Barrosa struck out to end it.
Alvarez finished 1-for-4 with his 31st double, leaving him at .310 with 39 home runs and 98 RBI in his Triple Crown chase.
Astros, Rangers Now Tied Atop AL West
Houston entered Wednesday with a one-game advantage over Texas. By the end of the night, it was gone.
The Astros fell to 76-76, while the Rangers improved to 76-76 with their fourth consecutive win. The two teams are now tied atop the AL West, with Houston having lost seven of its last 10 games.
With only 10 games remaining for the Astros, there is no longer any breathing room in the division race. What had been a Houston lead is now a dead heat heading into the final stretch of the regular season.
The Astros and Royals finish their three-game series Thursday at Daikin Park. First pitch is at 6:15 p.m. Central.
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