Royals top Astros 5-2, tie Texas for first in AL West
2 sources • 1 min read • Latest: Sep 17, 2026, 4:01 AM
Last updated Sep 17, 2026
On Wednesday night, the Kansas City Royals defeated the Houston Astros 5-2, marking a significant shift in the AL West standings. John Rave and Michael Massey both homered to lead the Royals, with Rave delivering a two-run shot and Massey adding a solo homer during a three-run eighth inning. Daniel Lynch IV pitched five scoreless innings for the Royals, while Astros starter Cristian Javier allowed two runs over 5 1/3 innings. This loss puts Houston in a tie with the Texas Rangers for first place in the division, a position they haven't been in since August 24. The series finale is set for Thursday as the Royals and Astros continue to vie for playoff positions.
- •John Rave and Michael Massey hit home runs for the Royals.
- •Kansas City scored three runs in the eighth inning.
- •Daniel Lynch IV threw five scoreless innings for the Royals.
- •Jeremy Peña had three hits for the Astros.
- •Astros will play the series finale against the Royals on Thursday.
- 4:01 AMYahoo Sports — Houston Astros' offense stymied again as team falls into tie atop AL West following loss to Royals
- 3:15 AMYahoo Sports — Rave and Massey homer as Royals beat Astros 5-2, dropping Houston into first-place tie with Texas
"John Rave hit a two-run homer, Michael Massey added a solo shot and the Kansas City Royals beat the Houston 5-2 on Wednesday night, dropping the Astros into a first-place tie with the Texas Rangers in the AL West. The Astros own the tiebreaker over the Rangers with both teams at 76-76, but this is the first time since Aug. 24 that Houston has not been alone in first place.
"The Houston Astros offense, aside from Jeremy Peña, continued to struggle in loss to Royals and now the Rangers have caught the Astros for a tie atop the AL West.
Sources
External links- Yahoo SportsSep 17, 2026, 4:01 AMHouston Astros' offense stymied again as team falls into tie atop AL West following loss to Royals
The Houston Astros offense, aside from Jeremy Peña, continued to struggle in loss to Royals and now the Rangers have caught the Astros for a tie atop the AL West.
- Yahoo SportsSep 17, 2026, 3:15 AMRave and Massey homer as Royals beat Astros 5-2, dropping Houston into first-place tie with Texas
John Rave hit a two-run homer, Michael Massey added a solo shot and the Kansas City Royals beat the Houston 5-2 on Wednesday night, dropping the Astros into a first-place tie with the Texas Rangers in the AL West. The Astros own the tiebreaker over the Rangers with both teams at 76-76, but this is the first time since Aug. 24 that Houston has not been alone in first place.
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