Perez leads comeback to even series with Astros
Salvador Perez wasn't prepared to let his Kansas City Royals leave home in an 0-2 hole.
The Royals catcher homered and drove in a pair, while second baseman Ben Zobrist singled in the eventual winning run in the seventh as Kansas City rallied from a three-run deficit to even its best-of-five ALDS series versus the Houston Astros with a 5-4 win in Game 2 on Friday.
Houston had the tying run at first base with one out before Royals closer Wade Davis picked off pinch-runner Carlos Gomez to record the second out of the inning. Davis then got Jose Altuve to ground out to end the game.
Top Performer: After going hitless in the opener, Perez helped rally the Royals on a pair of occasions in Game 2. Trailing 3-0 in the second inning, the three-time All-Star drilled a solo home run to cut the deficit to two. Perez also worked a four-pitch, bases-loaded walk in the seventh inning to bring in the tying run.
Starting Pitchers: Johnny Cueto's postseason struggles continued, as the right-hander allowed four runs over six innings. The Royals starter entered his outing 0-2 with a 5.19 ERA in three career playoff starts. Houston jumped out to an early 3-0 lead in the second before Cueto settled down. Astros starter Scott Kazmir allowed three runs on five hits in 5 1/3 innings and was pulled after allowing a one-out single to Lorenzo Cain in the sixth.
| PITCHER | IP | H | R | ER | BB | SO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cueto | 6 | 7 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 5 |
| Kazmir | 5.1 | 5 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 4 |
Turning Point: With a 4-2 lead in the sixth inning, Astros manager A.J. Hinch went to left-hander Oliver Perez after Kazmir allowed a double to Cain. Perez proceeded to allow an RBI single to Eric Hosmer, followed by another single to Kendrys Morales. Perez then walked Mike Moustakas to load the bases before Hinch lifted him for Josh Fields. Fields would walk Perez to tie the game.
Up Next: The series shifts to Houston, where the Astros won an AL-best 53 games, and they'll send Cy Young candidate Dallas Keuchel to the mound. The left-hander tossed six shutout innings against the New York Yankees in the AL wild-card game. The Royals counter with right-hander Edinson Volquez, who went 13-9 with a 3.55 ERA in 34 appearances. The 11-year veteran owns a 0-2 record and 12.15 ERA across two career postseason starts.