Key facts
- Yordan Alvarez hit two home runs, including a grand slam, in the first inning of the Astros' 10-8 victory over the Royals.
- Alvarez's two home runs in the first inning brought his season total to 24, tying him for the MLB lead.
- The Astros scored nine runs in the first inning.
- The Royals scored five runs in the first inning and three in the eighth, but fell short.
- Nate Pearson (1-0) earned the win for the Astros, while Luinder Avila (1-3) took the loss for the Royals.
Yordan Alvarez hit two home runs, including a grand slam, in the first inning to power the Houston Astros to a 10-8 victory over the Kansas City Royals on Friday night. Alvarez's performance marked the third time in Astros history a player hit two homers in an inning and the first time since Jeff Bagwell in 1994. He is the first player since David Ortiz in 2008 to achieve this in the first inning. Alvarez finished with six RBIs, bringing his season total to 24 home runs, tying him with Kyle Schwarber for the MLB lead. The Astros scored nine runs in the first inning, with additional contributions from Christian Walker and Taylor Trammell. The Royals responded with five runs in the first, including RBIs from Kameron Misner, Vinnie Pasquantino, Michael Massey, and Maikel Garcia. Kansas City narrowed the deficit to one run in the eighth, but Brice Matthews' pinch-hit homer in the ninth and Josh Hader's save secured the win for Houston. Nate Pearson (1-0) earned the win in relief for the Astros, while Royals starter Luinder Avila (1-3) took the loss. The Royals' Jac Caglianone is noted for a recent four-hit performance.