Jeremy Pena homers twice as Astros top Royals

Jeremy Pena recorded his fifth career multi-homer game and Yordan Alvarez homered for just the second time this month as the Houston Astros claimed the opener of a three-game series against the visiting Kansas City Royals with a 4-2 victory on Tuesday.

The Astros (76-75) maintained a lead over the Texas Rangers in the American League West while opening their final homestand of the season. Houston entered the day with a one-game lead over the Rangers.

Pena quickly gave the Astros the lead, drilling a first-pitch cutter from Royals right-hander Michael Wacha (9-9) out to left-center field to lead off the bottom of the first inning. His 18th home run traveled 440 feet and gave Astros right-hander Hunter Brown an early advantage.

Pena struck again two innings later. His 19th home run doubled the lead and marked his third multi-homer game of the season.

Wacha retired the side in order in the fourth and sixth innings. He stranded baserunners in the second and third frames and allowed four runs on four hits and one walk over six innings.

After Carter Jensen's RBI double put the Royals on the board in the top of the fifth, Alvarez slugged the Astros' third home run against Wacha in the bottom of the same frame. Alvarez followed a two-out single from Pena by golfing a 3-2 changeup into the right-field seats for his 39th homer this season and first since Sept. 6 against Arizona.

Pena finished 3-for-4 with three runs scored and two RBIs. Alvarez walked twice in addition to his homer.

Brown (6-3) retired the first six batters he faced and followed a leadoff walk to John Rave in the top of the third by recording successive strikeouts of Kyle Isbel, Isaac Collins and Jensen. He allowed one run on two hits with three walks and a season-high-tying 10 strikeouts in his five innings.

Vinnie Pasquantino clubbed his 12th home run for the Royals (66-85) in the sixth off Astros reliever Bennett Sousa.

Josh Hader allowed one hit in the ninth to earn his 26th save and lower his ERA to 0.85.