Cueto, Royals End Astros’ Season, 7-2

No one expected the Houston Astros to get this far in 2015.

But, now the fans are left thinking about what might have been.

For the third time in their American League Division Series, the Kansas City Royals battled from behind, rallying from a 2-0 deficit to beat the Astros, 7-2 in the fifth and deciding game of the best of five series at Kaufmann Stadium.

Johnny Cueto allowed just two hits over eight innings to give his team a chance to rally, and the Royals did with three runs in the fifth inning to take the lead for good.

Evan Gattis reached on an infield single, and Luis Valbuena hit a two run homer to stake Houston to an early 2-0 lead, but Cueto slammed the door after that, retiring the last nineteen batters he faced.

That gave the Royals a chance to get back into the game.  Kansas City got on the board in the fourth on a hit by Eric Hossmer and then put the game away in the fifth.  Losing pitcher Collin McHugh hit Salvador Perez with a pitch to start the inning.  Alex Gordon then hit a ground rule double to right and Alex Rios greeted reliever Mike Fiers with a double to score both runners.  After a sacrifice, Ben Zobrist hit a sacrifice fly to cap off the inning.

Kendrys Morales put the exclamation point on the night with a three run homer off Dallas Keuchel in the eighth.

Meanwhile, Cueto was mowing down the Astros, not allowing a baserunner after Valbuena's homer.  He struck out eight and did not walk a batter in a 91 pitch performance.  Wade Davis pitched a perfect ninth inning.

Kansas City will host Toronto in game one of the American League Championship Series Friday night.