Moustakas’ blast sends Kansas City past Astros

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Mike Moustakas hit a two-run homer with two outs in the ninth inning after Kansas City rallied from a six-run deficit, and the Royals snapped the Houston Astros' 11-game winning streak with a 9-7 victory Tuesday night.

Moustakas drove an 0-1 pitch from Ken Giles (1-2) out to right with Salvador Perez aboard. Moustakas had four hits and three RBIs.

Kansas City trailed 7-1 in the fourth inning but completed its comeback with a four-run eighth. Whit Merrifield hit a three-run double with two outs in the inning to tie it at 7.

Merrifield drove a 1-2 offering from Giles to left field, scoring Moustakas, Cheslor Cuthbert and Alex Gordon. Merrifield has hit safely in 20 of his last 21 games. Giles blew his second save in 18 opportunities.

The Astros' winning streak was the longest in the majors this season. They dropped to a major league-best 42-17 this season.

Mike Minor (3-1) pitched a scoreless inning for the Royals.

Moustakas also singled in a run during the eighth.

Carlos Beltran hit his 429th career home run in the Astros' fourrun fourth, giving them the six-run advantage. Josh Reddick, who had three hits, and Carlos Correa had the other run-scoring hits in the inning.

Houston rookie starter David Paulino gave up three runs and eight hits over 5 2/3 innings and left with a 7-3 lead.

Yuli Gurriel, who had three hits, contributed a two-run single in the Astros' third, giving him 12 RBIs during a seven-game hitting streak. Jose Altuve's sacrifice fly scored George Springer with the first run of the game. Springer extended his hitting streak to 11 games with a double and single. He has nine multihit games and 23 hits total in his streak.

Royals right-hander Jake Junis, who was making his second big league start, was removed after Beltran's homer. Junis faced 23 batters, and 12 reached — nine hits and three walks — with seven scoring.

Gordon homered in the third for the Royals, his first since Sept. 25, a span of 192 at-bats. RED SOX 5, YANKEES 4 Mitch Moreland and Hanley Ramirez hit back-to-back home runs and Andrew Benintendi later connected off struggling Masahiro Tanaka, powering the Boston Red Sox over the New York Yankees 5-4 on Tuesday night. The Red Sox made their first visit of the season to Yankee Stadium, and the matchup between the longtime rivals and top teams in the AL East had the feel of October, mostly because of the raw weather — low 50s, windy and damp.

NATIONAL LEAGUE

REDS 13, CARDINALS 1 Scooter Gennett hit four home runs, matching the major league record, and finished with 10 RBIs as the Cincinnati Reds routed the slumping St. Louis Cardinals 13-1 on Tuesday night. Gennett became the 17th player to homer four times in one game -- and perhaps the least likely. A scrappy second baseman who was claimed off waivers from Milwaukee in late March, he began the night with 38 career home runs, including three this season.

CUBS 10, MARLINS 2 ake Arrieta pitched two-hit ball into the seventh inning, Anthony Rizzo drove in four runs and the surging Chicago Cubs beat the Miami Marlins 10-2 on Tuesday night for their season-high fifth straight win. Arrieta (6-4) allowed two runs, struck out five and walked three in just his second win in the past month. The 2015 NL Cy Young Award winner retired 16 in a row over one stretch, showing signs of rounding into form after a bumpy start to the season.