Astros, Rangers win series openers on road

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — George Springer and Colby Rasmus homered, and Collin McHugh pitched six solid innings as the Houston Astros defeated the Kansas City Royals 5-2 Thursday night in the opener of an American League Division Series.

The defending AL champion Royals lost for the fifth time in seven meetings with the Astros this season. Last year, the Royals beat the Oakland Athletics in the AL wild-card game, then swept the Los Angeles Angels and the Baltimore Orioles before falling to the San Francisco Giants in a seven-game World Series.

While the Astros were a horrid 33-48 on the road during the regular season, they have begun the playoffs with away victories over the New York Yankees and the Royals. Home teams are 0-4 in postseason play this October.

Rasmus, who also homered in the AL wild-card game in the Bronx, has an extra-base hit in his first five postseason games. The left fielder, who belted 25 homers in the regular season, hit right-hander Ryan Madson's first pitch out to right-center in the eighth.

Springer, who is 8-for-15 with three home runs in four games at Kauffman Stadium, homered in the fifth.

McHugh limited the Royals to four hits and two runs, both solo homers by designated hitter Kendrys Morales. He walked one and struck out one.

After he exited, Astros relievers Tony Sipp, Will Harris, Oliver Perez and Luke Gregerson held the Royals scoreless over the final three innings. Gregerson picked up the save.

The Royals threatened in the eighth with two-out singles by second baseman Ben Zobrist and center fielder Lorenzo Cain. Perez was summoned to face first baseman Eric Hosmer, and the left-hander retired him on a foul pop up to third base.

The Astros loaded the bases with no outs to begin the game. Second baseman Jose Altuve singled to left on right-hander Yordano Ventura's second pitch. Springer drew a walk in a nine-pitch at-bat, and shortstop Carlos Correa singled to right to fill the bases.

Rasmus and designated hitter Evan Gattis made productive groundouts, each getting home a run. Altuve scored on Rasmus' grounder to second baseman Ben Zobrist, who made a diving stop.

Springer came home on Gattis' grounder to shortstop. Ventura threw 24 pitches, 18 for strikes, in the first inning.

The Astros added a run in the second. Center fielder Jake Marisnick doubled to the left-center gap with two outs and scored on Altuve's single.

Morales led off the Royals' second with a home run, just inside the right field foul pole on a 2-1 count, hitting McHugh's 90 mph fastball.

There was a 49-minute rain delay after the second inning.

Chris Young replaced Ventura after the delay. Ventura gave up three runs on four hits and a walk while striking out two, throwing 42 pitches.

In Young's first two innings, the Astros failed to put the ball in play, six strikeouts and a walk. He wound up throwing four innings of one-run ball.

Morales homered again in the fourth inning on a McHugh changeup. He became the first Royal to have a multi-homer postseason game since Hall of Famer George Brett hit two on Oct. 11, 1985, against Toronto. The blasts were the third and fourth postseason homers of Morales' career.

Altuve led off the fifth with a single, his third hit. Altuve, who led the American League with 38 stolen bases, was thrown out trying to steal second by catcher Salvador Perez.

That became significant moments later when Springer pounced on 3-1 Young 88 mph fastball and drove it over the left field fence, pushing the Astros' advantage to 4-2.

NOTES: Astros CF Carlos Gomez (intercostal strain) did not start, but he said he would play Friday. Jake Marisnick replaced him in center. ... Royals LF Alex Gordon batted eighth for only the second time since 2010. SS Alcides Escobar returned to the top of the order. ... RHP Jeremy Guthrie, Kansas City's starter for Game 7 of the 2014 World Series, was left off the ALDS roster. So was OF Jonny Gomes, who was acquired in an Aug. 31 trade with Atlanta. ... The Astros omitted RHP Chad Qualls from their roster. He was a member of Houston's 2005 World Series team. ... OF Terrance Gore, who has been called the fastest man in baseball, was included on the Royals' roster, giving manager Ned Yost a pinch-running weapon. ... Julianna Zobrist, a contemporary Christian recording artist and the wife of Royals 2B Ben Zobrist, performed the national anthem.

Rangers knock off Blue Jays, 5-3

Robinson Chirinos hit a two-run homer while Rougned Odor added a solo shot as the Texas Rangers defeated the Toronto Blue Jays 5-3 on Thursday in the opener of their American League Division Series.

Rangers right-hander Yovani Gallardo allowed four hits, one walk and two runs and struck out one in five innings to post his fourth win in four career starts against the Blue Jays.

"The ball was up in the zone a little bit but we stayed with the game plan and got some ground balls whenever I needed to and limited the damage," Gallardo said.

Blue Jays left-hander David Price allowed five hits that included two home runs and five runs in seven innings to run his post-season record to 1-6.

"I just didn't pitch the way I'm capable of," Price said.

"It was just nerves those first couple of pitches."

Both teams lost players to injury with Texas third baseman Adrian Beltre suffering a stiff lower back when he slid into second, while Blue Jays third baseman Josh Donaldson took a knee in the head when he slid hard into second base in the fourth.

"He came out, precautionary, I think he got a little light-headed," Blue Jay manager John Gibbons said of Donaldson's injury. "They checked for a concussion and he apparently passed all the tests so that's good news."

Blue Jays right fielder Jose Bautista, who hit a solo homer, came out of the game after the eighth with a hamstring cramp but was expected to be okay for the second game on Friday.

The Rangers took a 2-0 lead in the third when Price hit Odor with a pitch to open the inning.

Odor was brought home when center fielder Delino DeShields singled before DeShields scored on a single to center by Beltre, who left in the middle of the third.

"We'll know more tonight and also in the morning where he's at," Rangers manager Jeff Banister said.

"Obviously we want Adrian in the game. He's the heart and soul of this club."

The Blue Jays scored a run in the fourth on an infield hit by designated hitter Edwin Encarnacion that brought home left fielder Ben Revere, the first Blue Jays run against Gallardo in his three starts against them this season.

Chirinos put the Rangers ahead 4-1 with a home run to left in the fifth after Odor was hit by a pitch for the second time.

The Blue Jays scored twice in the fifth on doubles by catcher Russell Martin and center fielder Kevin Pillar before Bautista belted a home run in the bottom of the sixth to cut the Rangers' lead to 4-3.

Odor restored the two-run lead when he lined a one-out homer to right in the seventh that ended the scoring.

"I liked the effort and I liked our intensity," Martin said.

"They played a little better than we did. Everybody's different. I'm over it and ready to come out tomorrow."