HOUSTON - Chris Carter and Jose Altuve homered to back a solid start by rookie Lance McCullers, and the Houston Astros beat the Kansas City Royals 6-1 on Monday night.
In a matchup of teams with the best records in the American League, Houston snapped Kansas City's four-game winning streak. The Royals are 44-29 and the Astros are 45-34.
McCullers (4-2) allowed four hits and a run with six strikeouts in seven innings in his ninth major-league start.
The Astros jumped on Joe Blanton (2-1) for five runs in the first three innings and Carter added a solo home run in the fifth to help them to the win.
Blanton, who didn't walk anyone in his first two starts this season, struggled with control, walking four and giving up five runs and five hits in just 22/3 innings. It was his first loss since Aug. 20, 2013. He was out of baseball in 2014 and started this season 2-0 with a 1.73 ERA after being called up from Triple-A Omaha.
McCullers held the Royals scoreless until a solo homer by Salvador Perez cut the lead to 6-1 in the seventh inning.
He retired nine in a row after a single by Alex Gordon to start the second inning. Rios singled to start the fifth, but McCullers still faced the minimum in that inning after Christian Colon grounded into a double play.
Jarrod Dyson drew a walk to start the sixth but he set down the next three batters to end the inning.
The Royals were without shortstop Alcides Escobar and first baseman Eric Hosmer, who both sat out with finger injuries.
Luis Valbuena singled with no outs in the second before Blanton walked Jon Singleton and Preston Tucker with one out to load the bases. A third consecutive walk, this one by Domingo Santana, made it 1-0.
Jason Castro's sacrifice fly pushed the lead to 2-0 before George Springer struck out to end the inning.
Altuve led off the second with a homer to the Crawford Boxes in left field to make it 3-0.
Valbuena singled with one out before Singleton drew a two-out walk. A bloop single by Tucker scored Valbuena and a single by Santana drove in another run to make it 5-0 and chase Blanton.
Carter added a solo homer off of Brandon Finnegan in the fifth inning to snap an 0-for-7 slump.
Singleton doubled in the eighth inning for his first hit since being called up from Triple-A Fresno on Friday.
Notes:
Royals: Escobar was scratched Monday with a bruise on his index finger. ... Hosmer was out with a sprained left ring finger and manager Ned Yost said he probably won't play during this series, which ends Wednesday. Hosmer was injured Saturday and left Sunday's game early with the problem. He had improved Monday and the swelling in his finger was subsiding.
Astros: OF Colby Rasmus was for the third straight game because of a skin infection on his left arm caused by a bug bite. Manager A.J. Hinch said Rasmus received intravenous antibiotics Monday to try to eliminate the infection. He is day-to-day. ... OF Jake Marisnick, who is on the disabled list with a strained left hamstring, is improving and could start a rehabilitation assignment soon. ... RHP Scott Feldman (arthroscopic knee surgery) will throw a simulated game today in Houston.