The Kc Royals turned a nightmare first inning into a game again, but they still left with a 10-8 loss to the Astros in the series opener. They trailed 9-0 before they even took an at-bat, then clawed back to within one run before the Astros answered in the ninth.
Yordan Alvarez drove the damage early with a two-run home run and a grand slam in the first inning, and Christian Walker added a solo shot as the Astros raced out front. That is the kind of start that usually ends the night quickly. Instead, the Royals kept it alive long enough to make the scoreline look almost believable.
The reason people will search this game now is simple: the Royals were buried, then nearly erased it. Carter Jensen opened the first with a single, Bobby Witt Jr. walked, and Vinnie Pasquantino drove in the first run. Maikel Garcia added another on a fielder's choice, Michael Massey doubled down the right field line for an RBI, and Kameron Misner blooped a single to center to drive in two more. Misner was then thrown out at third to end the inning, but the Royals had already put five on the board before the Astros made a second at-bat.
That burst did not last long. Both starters were gone before the first inning ended, and the bullpens held the score there until the eighth. The Royals then scored three more runs to make it 9-8, with Garcia and Salvador Perez starting the rally, Massey delivering another RBI single, and Carter Jensen drawing an RBI walk after Isaac Collins was hit by an 0-2 pitch. Bobby Witt Jr. also chipped in with an infield single, which kept the inning moving even as Lane Thomas struck out and Starling Marte was thrown out trying to beat out a weak grounder to short.
The part that stings is how close it got. The Royals scored eight runs, reached 9-8, and had the game inside one run after all that early damage. Then the Astros added a home run off Matt Strahm in the ninth, and Josh Hader finished it by inducing three poorly hit balls to end the game. One inning of collapse put the Royals in a hole too deep, and one more swing made sure the comeback never became a result.
That makes the next game matter because the Royals do not have much time to sit with the loss. Mike Burrows is scheduled to start against Noah Cameron at 6:10 p.m. Central time, and the Royals will need a cleaner first inning if they want the night to end any differently.
