A storm was coming. Everyone at Kauffman Stadium knew it. The grounds crew was stationed behind the tarp. The scoreboard was urging fans to seek shelter. And Jose Altuve was walking to the plate with the Houston Astros trailing by two.
Matt Strahm hit Isaac Paredes with his fourth pitch to put a runner on. On his fifth, he went up in the zone with a slider. Altuve was ready, driving it 407 feet into the visitors’ bullpen to tie the game at seven just before the sky opened up.
“Even from the beginning of the game we were aware that at some point it was going to rain,” Altuve said. “But I think it ended up being great for us.”
The tarp came out. The rain came down. An hour and 31 minutes later, the game resumed, and the Astros—coming off Friday’s historic first inning from Yordan Alvarez—made the most of it. With one out and runners on first and third in the ninth, Christian Walker hit what should have been a double-play ball. Royals second baseman Nick Loftin’s relay throw sailed past first base, allowing Joey Loperfido to score the go-ahead run.
Bryan Abreu held the lead in the ninth, but not without drama. After Carter Jensen popped out to open the inning, Bobby Witt Jr. doubled, putting the tying run in scoring position. Isaac Collins lined a ball up the middle. Jeremy Peña went airborne, snared it, and threw to second to catch Witt before he could get back. Game over. Houston won 8-7 and took the series.
“How many times have we seen Altuve hit home runs in big moments?” manager Joe Espada said. “That was it right there. They could have easily put the tarp on and rain comes down and it could have been a different outcome. But the fact that he tied that game up, we waited for the game to resume and we got the win.”
The game had everything before the drama. Walker and Brice Matthews each hit two-run homers off Noah Cameron in the fourth and fifth innings respectively to forge a 4-4 tie. Jake Meyers hit a solo shot in the sixth to give Houston its first lead. The Royals responded with a three-run sixth against Mike Burrows and Enyel De Los Santos, as Carter Jensen’s bases-clearing double put Kansas City back in front 7-5.
Matthews cut off a potential run with a throw from left field that nailed Jensen at the plate in the sixth inning, his second outfield assist of the road trip. It proved essential two innings later when Altuve retied the game.
Burrows worked five innings, allowing five runs. He has taken every turn through the rotation this season but has yet to establish consistency, carrying a 5.86 ERA through 14 starts. Bryan King worked a scoreless eighth after the delay. Alimber Santa bridged the gap.
Houston is 33-39 and has a chance to sweep the series Sunday behind Spencer Arrighetti.
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