Royals Fall Short in Houston Despite Early Peña Homers

Royals Strike First Twice

The Kansas City Royals jumped out to an early advantage, capitalizing on consecutive home runs by Jeremy Peña. In the first inning, Peña launched a 440-foot blast to left center, giving the visitors a 1-0 lead. He continued his offensive surge in the third inning, hitting another homer, this one measuring 370 feet to left field, extending the Royals’ advantage to 2-0.

Astros Rally with Alvarez Drive

Houston’s offense began its comeback attempt in the fifth inning. Jensen doubled to left field, allowing Collins to score and cut the deficit to 2-1. The momentum shifted further when Yordan Alvarez stepped up to the plate later in the same frame.

Alvarez connected on a 376-foot home run to right field, driving in both himself and Peña for a two-run swing that turned the game around with a 4-2 Astros lead.

Royals Cut Deficit Late

The Royals refused to go quietly. In the sixth inning, Pasquantino provided a late spark by hitting a 376-foot home run to right center, narrowing the gap to 4-3. However, Houston’s bullpen successfully closed out the remainder of the contest, holding on for the final 4-2 victory.

Pitching Performance and Records

Hunter Brown earned the win for Houston, pitching five innings while allowing one earned run on two hits and striking out ten batters despite three walks. Bennett Sousa (10) and AJ Blubaugh (11) each pitched an inning of relief, with Blubaugh contributing a scoreless frame.

Bryan Abreu (15) secured the save opportunity by retiring the side in order in the eighth, and Josh Hader (26) recorded his 26th save of the season by pitching the ninth.

For Kansas City, Michael Wacha took the loss, falling to 9-9 on the season. He pitched six innings, giving up four runs on four hits with one walk and two strikeouts. Lucas Erceg pitched a perfect inning with one strikeout, while Jose Cuas allowed a walk but struck out two in his outing.

With the result, the Houston Astros improved their record to 76-75, while the Kansas City Royals dropped to 66-85. The game was played at Daikin Park in Houston, Texas, before a crowd of 28,635 on Wednesday, September 16, 2026.

Sources

ESPN