Astros, Rangers take openers on road

KANSAS CITY, Missouri – Collin McHugh and the Houston Astros beat the Kansas City Royals at their own game on Thursday, relying on sharp pitching and stingy defense for a 5-2 victory in the opener of their American League Division Series.

In the league’s other division series, Robinson Chirinos hit a two-run homer against David Price and Rougned Odor had a solo shot as the Texas Rangers beat the Blue Jays 5-3 in the first postseason baseball game in Toronto in 22 years.

It’s the first time since 1970 that visiting teams won MLB’s first four postseason games. Houston won on the road against the New York Yankees in the AL wild-card game on Tuesday, and the Chicago Cubs won at Pittsburgh in the National League wild-card game on Wednesday.

McHugh (1-0) allowed four hits in Houston’s win Thursday, including a pair of solo homers by Kendrys Morales, while pitching around a 49-minute rain delay. The right-hander lasted six innings before turning the game over to his bullpen, which scattered three runners over the final three frames.

Tony Sipp, Will Harris and Oliver Perez got the game to Luke Gregerson, who handled the ninth to earn a save.

George Springer and Colby Rasmus went deep for the homer-happy Astros, but they also scored via the same sort of small ball the Royals used in reaching the World Series last season.

Game 2 is Friday, with lefty Scott Kazmir on the mound for Houston against right-hander Johnny Cueto in a matchup of pitchers traded during the MLB season.

Yordano Ventura (0-1) yielded three runs on four hits and a walk in two innings for Kansas City, but did not come back following the rain delay. Chris Young served up Springer’s home run with one out in the fifth, but tossed four otherwise solid innings of relief.

The Astros, who struggled so mightily on the road this season, have apparently solved their woes just in time. They beat the Yankees 3-0 in Tuesday’s wild-card game, then took care of a Royals club built specifically for spacious Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City.

“That’s a young, athletic team and they played really, really good defense,” Kansas City manager Ned Yost said.

In Toronto, Yovani Gallardo (1-0) allowed two runs and four hits in five innings, improving to 4-0 with a 1.78 ERA in four career starts against the Blue Jays.