Astros win again on road, Royals get to Price

The Houston Astros continued to dominate the Kansas City Royals, while David Price's postseason slump drags on as the road teams prevailed in the opening games of the AL Division Series playoffs.
Robinson Chirinos belted a two-run homer and Rougned Odor added a solo shot as the Texas Rangers beat Price's Toronto Blue Jays 5-3 in the best-of-five series opener on Thursday at Rogers Centre stadium in Toronto.

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 Major League Baseball career starts against Toronto.

"We stayed with the game plan and got some ground balls whenever I needed to and limited the damage," Gallardo said.

In the late game in Kansas City, the defending American League champion Royals lost for the fifth time in seven meetings with the Astros this season, going down 5-2 in their opener.

Price allowed two home runs, five hits and five runs and two homers in seven innings. He allowed two walks and struck out five as he lost his sixth consecutive playoff start. His career record in the postseason is now 1-6.

"It's been about seven years, so I want that monkey off my back," Price said.

Right fielder Jose Bautista hit a solo homer for the Blue Jays.

The Rangers jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the third inning. Chirinos put the Rangers ahead 4-1 with a home run to left field in the fifth.
The Blue Jays came back with a run in their half of the fifth on doubles by catcher Russell Martin and center fielder Kevin Pillar.

Outfielder Jose Bautista greeted Rangers relief pitcher Keone Kela with a home run to open the bottom of the sixth to cut the Texas lead to 4-3.

Odor restored the Rangers two-run lead when he lined a one-out homer to right field in the seventh.

Right-hander Sam Dyson took over in the ninth for the Rangers and gave up a leadoff single to designated hitter Edwin Encarnacion but nothing else to record the save.

Both teams lost players to injury.

The Rangers lost third baseman Adrian Beltre to a stiff lower back when he slid into second in the third and it was not certain when he might return.

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

Blue Jays third baseman Josh Donaldson took a knee in the head when he slid hard into second base to break up a possible double play in the fourth.

- Little light-headed -

"He got a little light-headed," Blue Jay manager John Gibbons said. "They checked for a concussion and he apparently passed all the tests."

Astros starting pitcher Collin McHugh pitched six solid innings and the bullpen did the rest for his team, which began the playoffs with back-to-back away victories after going a horrid 33-48 on the road during the regular season.

George Springer and Colby Rasmus homered for Houston, who beat the New York Yankees in a do-or-die wild card game earlier this week.

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.

Rasmus, who also homered in the AL wild-card game in the Bronx, has an extra-base hit in his first five postseason games. Springer homered in the fifth.

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

Once his night was over, Astros relievers Tony Sipp, Will Harris, Oliver Perez and Luke Gregerson held the Royals scoreless over the final three innings.

Source: AFP