Wichita Eagle Logo

Royals lose another to Astros | The Wichita Eagle

×
  • E-edition
  • Home
    • Customer Service
    • Archives
    • Buy Photos and Pages
    • Contact Us
    • Eagle+ Sign In
    • Mobile & Apps
    • Newsletters
    • Newspaper in Education
    • Subscribe
    • Subscriber Services
    • About Us

    • News
    • Crime & Courts
    • Local
    • Databases
    • Education
    • Lottery
    • Nation & World
    • Politics
    • Special Projects
    • Weather
    • Weird News
    • Blogs & Columnists
    • Finger on the Weather
    • Prairie Politics
    • Sports
    • Wichita State
    • Varsity Kansas
    • Chiefs
    • K-State
    • Kansas
    • Outdoors
    • Royals
    • State Colleges
    • Wingnuts
    • NBC baseball
    • Blogs & Columnists
    • Bob Lutz
    • Jayhawk Dispatch
    • K-Stated
    • Lutz Blog
    • Michael Pearce
    • Shockwaves
    • Politics
    • Elections
    • Business
    • Agribusiness
    • Aviation
    • Banking
    • Health Care
    • Small Business
    • Forward Wichita
    • Blogs & Columnists
    • Air Capital Insider
    • Business Casual
    • Business Perspectives
    • Carrie Rengers
    • Living
    • Celebrations
    • Family
    • Fashion
    • Food & Drink
    • Health & Fitness
    • Home & Garden
    • Pets
    • Religion
    • Travel
    • Blogs & Columnists
    • Suzanne Tobias
    • Entertainment
    • The Arts
    • Books
    • Celebrities
    • Comics
    • Games & Puzzles
    • Horoscopes
    • Restaurants
    • Events
    • Movies
    • Music
    • TV
    • Blogs & Columnists
    • Dining with Denise
    • Movie Maniac
    • Keeper of the Plans
    • Opinion
    • Editorials
    • Editorial Cartoons
    • Letters
    • Opinion Columns
    • Submit a Letter
    • Blogs & Columnists
    • Richard Crowson
    • Kirk Seminoff's Pivot Point
  • Obituaries

    • Classifieds
    • Auctions/Estate Sales
    • Garage Sales
    • Jobs
    • Legal Notices
    • Merchandise
    • Pets
    • Service Directory
    • Place An Ad
    • Merchandise
    • Jobs
    • Cars
    • Homes
    • Apartments
    • Other Categories
    • Classified Support Center
  • Jobs
  • Moonlighting
  • Cars
  • Homes
  • Mobile & Apps

Kansas City Royals

Royals lose another to Astros

By Bob Dutton

    ORDER REPRINT →

May 22, 2013 11:42 PM

The best thing said about the Royals in their three days at Minute Maid Park is it could have been worse. But for a late rally Tuesday, they might have suffered a sweep against the American League’s worst club.

It was bad enough, though.

The Royals sent their ace to the mound in Wednesday’s finale and, as usually happens when James Shields pitches, their attack turtled and resulted in a 3-1 loss to the Houston Astros.

Shields gave up a two-run homer in the first inning to J.D. Martinez, and it was sufficient to send him to his fifth loss in seven decisions despite a 2.47 ERA. He struck out seven and walked none in seven innings.

Sign Up and Save

Get six months of free digital access to The Wichita Eagle

SUBSCRIBE WITH GOOGLE

#ReadLocal

Houston got its final run in the eighth inning against reliever Kelvin Herrera on Jason Castro’s two-out RBI double over the head of right fielder Jeff Francoeur.

The Royals’ offensive futility peaked earlier in the eighth after Chris Getz led off by working a walk from Travis Blackley, who had pitched a scoreless seventh in relief of starter Jordan Lyles.

That brought Hector Ambriz into the game to face Alcides Escobar, who failed to execute a sacrifice bunt. Getz then got himself trapped between first and second — and ran himself into an out.

Ambriz retired the next two hitters before Jose Veras, armed with a two-run cushion, closed out the victory with a scoreless ninth for his eighth save in 10 chances.

Lyles (2-1) limited the Royals to one run and six hits in six innings before handing a 2-1 lead to Blackley. Lyles struck out three and walked one.

The loss completed a 3-6 road trip that began with two victories in three games at Los Angeles before suffering three one-run losses in Oakland. The Royals’ two losses to the Astros were also by one run.

The Royals also dipped back below .500 at 21-22 as now head home for six games — four against the Angels before the I-70 Series resumes Monday with the first of four games against Cardinals — the latter two in St. Louis.

Wednesday’s game pretty much summed up Shields’ season. He has nine quality starts in his 10 outings, but the Royals are averaging just six runs in his five losses.

Alex Gordon extended his hitting streak to 10 games in the first inning when he lined a two-out single into center. Billy Butler then grounded a 3-0 pitch to short, which resulted in a force at second.

The Astros then stung Shields for two runs. Castro flicked a two-out single into center, and Martinez followed by rifling a 2-2 slider into the right-field seats for a two-run homer.

The Houston second opened with a gift double when Francoeur appeared to lose Carlos Pena’s line drive in the lights. Shields pitched around it by getting a strikeout, a foul pop and a grounder to second.

Francoeur opened the third with a triple onto the incline in center field known as Tal’s Hill (after former club president Tal Smith, who imported the idea from the terrace at old Crosley Field in Cincinnati).

George Kottaras followed with an RBI double into the left-center gap. Kottaras moved to third on Getz’s slow grounder to second, which prompted the Astros to shorten their infield.

Escobar couldn’t take advantage. His grounder to third forced Kottaras to hold.

Lyles walked Gordon on four pitches but stranded runners at first and third by winning an 11-pitch battle with Butler who struck out on a slider that dived out of the zone.

Martinez ripped a ball into the left-field corner to start the Houston fourth but tried to stretch a single into a double — and learned why Gordon is a Gold Glover. It was Gordon’s fifth assist of the season and third in five games.

The Royals mounted a two-out threat in the fifth on singles by Getz and Escobar, but Gordon hit a check-swing hopper back to the mound for an easy third out.

Lorenzo Cain got a two-out single in the sixth but was thrown out stealing when Mike Moustakas took a 3-1 fastball for a strike right down the middle.

  Comments  

Videos

Royals outfielder Brian Goodwin looking forward to competition

Noah’s Bandage Project important to Royals Danny Duffy’s

View More Video

Trending Stories

Here are the musical acts that will be playing at Riverfest 2019

February 20, 2019 12:49 PM

Dean Wade, Kamau Stokes miss K-State basketball practice with nagging injuries

February 21, 2019 04:10 PM

Girl Scout put shirtless Jason Momoa on these Samoas and created a hot cookie demand

February 20, 2019 10:33 AM

Rollercoaster going up: Shockers’ season turns with three-point barrage in Tulsa road win

February 20, 2019 10:12 PM

A Wichita business is ceasing operations after almost 120 years

February 21, 2019 05:47 PM

Read Next

Royals’ Jorge Soler is healthy, invigorated after trip home to Cuba

Kansas City Royals

Royals’ Jorge Soler is healthy, invigorated after trip home to Cuba

By Lynn Worthy

    ORDER REPRINT →

February 21, 2019 07:07 PM

Royals slugger Jorge Soler discusses disappointment of injury as well as the joy of going home to Cuba.

KEEP READING

Sign Up and Save

#ReadLocal

Get six months of free digital access to The Wichita Eagle

SUBSCRIBE WITH GOOGLE

MORE KANSAS CITY ROYALS

After an offseason reshaping his body, Royals’ Goodwin not sweating RF competition

Kansas City Royals

After an offseason reshaping his body, Royals’ Goodwin not sweating RF competition

February 21, 2019 03:17 PM
Royals pitcher Danny Duffy plans to raise the ante for pediatric cancer research

Kansas City Royals

Royals pitcher Danny Duffy plans to raise the ante for pediatric cancer research

February 21, 2019 03:17 PM
Royals veterans Ian Kennedy and Alex Gordon train to sustain in their mid 30s

Kansas City Royals

Royals veterans Ian Kennedy and Alex Gordon train to sustain in their mid 30s

February 20, 2019 04:14 PM
MLB commissioner Rob Manfred: Nothing surprising about how free-agency has unfolded

Kansas City Royals

MLB commissioner Rob Manfred: Nothing surprising about how free-agency has unfolded

February 20, 2019 10:41 AM
Royals OF Brett Phillips: I need to go back to who I was

Kansas City Royals

Royals OF Brett Phillips: I need to go back to who I was

February 19, 2019 01:02 PM
Royals hoping to make fans remember September with their early play in 2019

Kansas City Royals

Royals hoping to make fans remember September with their early play in 2019

February 18, 2019 05:45 PM
Take Us With You

Real-time updates and all local stories you want right in the palm of your hand.

Subscriptions
  • Start a Subscription
  • Customer Service
  • eEdition
  • Vacation Hold
  • Pay Your Bill
  • Rewards
Learn More
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Newsletters
  • News in Education
Advertising
  • Information
  • Digital Advertising
  • Rates
  • Place a Classified
  • Local Deals
Copyright
Commenting Policy
Privacy Policy
Terms of Service


Back to Story