KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Yordan Alvarez became the third player in Houston history to hit two homers in an inning, with a during a nine-run first, and the Astros beat the Kansas City Royals 10-8 on Friday night.
Alvarez is the 63rd player in major league history to hit two homers in one inning, and the first Houston player since Jeff Bagwell did it on June 24, 1994. He is the first since Boston’s David Ortiz on Aug. 12, 2008 to do it in the first.
He is also just the eighth player to hit a grand slam and a multirun homer in a single inning, and the first to do it in the first inning, per Sportradar.
Alvarez finished 3 for 5 with six RBIs and moved into a tie with Philadelphia’s Kyle Schwarber for the MLB lead in homers with 24.
Christian Walker added a solo shot in the first inning, and Taylor Trammell had an RBI single. Cam Smith scored on a passed ball to complete the scoring.
The Royals answered with five runs in the first. Kameron Misner had two RBIs, and Vinnie Pasquantino, Michael Massey and Maikel Garcia each had one in the inning.
Kansas City scored three runs in the eighth inning to make it a one-run game, but Brice Matthews hit pinch-hit homer for the Astros in the ninth and Josh Hader — the last of seven Houston pitchers — pitched the ninth for his second save.
Nate Pearson (1-0) earned the win with two scoreless innings. Starter Tatsuya Imai went 2/3 innings, allowing four hits and five runs.
Luinder Avila (1-3) surrendered five hits, eight runs, and three walks.
Up next
Royals LHP Noah Cameron (3-4, 3.84 ERA) takes the hill opposite Astros RHP Mike Burrows (3-8, 5.77) in the second game of the series.
___
AP MLB:
