Astros rout Royals for seventh straight win

KANSAS CITY, MO -- Jose Altuve went 4 for 5, including a home run and two doubles, and the Houston Astros extended their winning streak to seven with a 13-5 victory over the Kansas City Royals on Saturday night.

Altuve drove in three runs and scored three runs. He is hitting .417 with a .484 on-base percentage while reaching base in 27 consecutive games, the longest active streak in the major leagues.

Marwin Gonzalez, Altuve and Carlos Correa, the Astros' two-three-four hitters, combined to go 8 for 15 with seven RBIs, six runs and two homers. Altuve and Correa hit consecutive homers in a seven-run second.

Houston has won 22 of 30 to move a season-best three games above .500 (39-36). The Astros are on their longest winning streak since taking 10 in a row from June 14-23 last year.

Kansas City catcher Drew Butera took the mound to get the final three outs of the ninth, his fourth big league pitching appearance and the first by a Royals position player since outfielder Mitch Maier against Cleveland on April 15, 2012. Butera gave up Jason Castro's RBI double, retired George Springer on a foulout, struck out Marwin Gonzalez on a 91 mph offering and got Danny Worth on a groundout.

Michael Feliz (5-1) won despite allowing two runs and three hits in 1 2/3 innings. Astros starter Mike Fiers, staked to a 9-1 lead in the fourth, was removed after 4 1/3 innings. He gave up three runs, nine hits and three walks and also a hit batter.

Chris Young (2-7) yielded seven runs, seven hits and four walks in 2 1/3 innings, raising his ERA to 6.54. He has allowed a major league-leading 21 homers in 53 2/3 innings - including at least one homer in all 11 starts.

Combined with Edinson Volquez's poor outing Friday, Royals starters allowed 18 earned runs in 3 1/3 innings over two nights, a 48.60 ERA.

A.J. Reed, the Astros top position player prospect, walked twice, scored two runs and had a sacrifice fly in his big league debut.

Alex Gordon, who missed 30 games with a broken right wrist, returned to the Kansas City lineup with a home run and double.

Lorenzo Cain, Kendrys Morales and Cheslor Cuthbert each had two hits and drove in a run for the Royals, who have lost four straight.

TRAINER'S ROOM

Astros: Valbuena, who exited the game Friday in the second inning with lower back tightness, was back in the lineup and doubled twice.

Royals: Rookie OF Brett Eibner, who hit .297 with a .514 slugging percentage in 11 games, was optioned to Triple-A Omaha. . RHP Kris Medlen (rotator cuff inflammation) gave up one unearned run and two hits in 4 2/3 innings in a rehab start Saturday for Triple-A Omaha at Nashville. He struck out five and walked one.

UP NEXT

RHP Doug Fister (8-3), Houston's scheduled starter Sunday, allowed six runs and nine hits in 5 2/3 innings in an April 14 loss to the Royals. Kansas City starter Ian Kennedy (5-6) has given up 10 home runs in his first four June starts.