HOUSTON — Luis Garcia pitched into the seventh inning and two relievers completed a four-hitter to lead the Houston Astros over the Kansas City Royals 4-0 on Tuesday night.
Garcia (10-6) struck out seven and scattered four hits across 6 2/3 sharp innings. Ryne Stanek got the next four outs before Kendall Graveman worked a perfect ninth.
Carlos Correa had two hits and two RBIs to help the Astros snap a two-game skid and improve to 2-4 against the Royals this season after dropping Monday’s series opener 7-1. Houston dropped three of four in Kansas City last week.
Houston’s strong pitching performance cooled off the hot-hitting Royals, who had scored 26 runs during a four-game winning streak.
Royals starter Brady Singer (3-9) permitted seven hits and four runs in five innings, but just one was earned after his defense committed two costly errors in the first.
Jose Altuve reached on a fielding error by first baseman Ryan O’Hearn to start Houston’s first, and Michael Brantley walked before a one-out walk to Yuli Gurriel loaded the bases.
The Astros took a 1-0 lead when Altuve scored on a groundout by Correa.
Aledmys Díaz singled on a ball hit to shortstop Nicky Lopez and he made a throwing error that allowed two more runs to score and make it 3-0.
Kansas City had runners at second and third with none out in the third but failed to score.
Gurriel singled to start things off for Houston in the bottom of the third before scoring on a double by Correa that extended the lead to 4-0.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Royals: 1B Carlos Santana was out of the lineup after he was injured running to first base in the ninth inning Monday. Santana has a Grade 1 hip flexor strain and is day-to-day.
Astros: 3B Alex Bregman (left quadriceps strain) worked out at the ballpark after playing a rehabilitation game for Triple-A Sugar Land on Monday night. Bregman will be activated and play for the Astros on Wednesday, manager Dusty Baker said. … OF Kyle Tucker was activated from the COVID-19 injured list. … OF Chas McCormick was placed on the IL with left hand soreness. … RHP Bryan Abreu was recalled from Sugar Land and RHP Pedro Báez was placed on the injured list with right shoulder soreness.
UMPIRE CHANGE
There was a delay with one out in the bottom of the fifth when plate umpire Jim Reynolds had to leave the game. After Díaz popped out, Reynolds walked away from the plate and toward the home dugout. He was met by Houston’s trainer and they and the rest of the umpires talked for a couple of minutes and he drank some water before he left the field with the trainer. Both teams left the field and play resumed a few minutes later with Tony Randazzo, who started the game at second base, at home plate and no umpire at second.
It was unclear why Reynolds had to leave the game, but he did take a pitch to the face mask earlier in the game.
UP NEXT
Kansas City left-hander Mike Minor (8-11, 5.34 ERA) will oppose Lance McCullers Jr. (10-4, 3.21) when the series wraps up Wednesday.
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