Houston Astros’ Chris Carter hits a solo home run during the seventh inning against the Kansas City Royals in Houston on Oct. 11.Eric Christian Smith/Getty Images
Dallas Keuchel remained perfect at home with seven gutsy innings and Chris Carter homered Sunday, leading the Houston Astros to a 4-2 win over the Kansas City Royals to take a 2-1 lead in the American League Division Series.
The Astros could wrap up the best-of-five series with a win over the AL defending champions in Game 4 on Monday.
Keuchel (2-0) worked out of jam after jam, allowing five hits and one run with seven strikeouts after going 15-0 at home this season, a modern major-league record.
Luke Gregerson gave up a lead-off homer in the ninth to Alex Gordon before finishing off the Astros first playoff game in Houston in 10 years with a four-out save. It was his first save of more than three outs in three years.
Jason Castro drove in two runs with a single in the fifth that made it 2-1. Carlos Gomez, who has a rib muscle strain, started for the first time in the series and had a run-scoring single in the sixth.