HOUSTON (AP) - Mike Moustakas tied it with an RBI single before George Kottaras scored the go-ahead run on a bases-loaded walk in a four-run eighth inning, and the Kansas City Royals rallied for a 7-3 win Tuesday night against the Houston Astros to end a four-game skid.
The Royals trailed 3-0 and couldn't get much going offensively until the seventh when they cut the lead to one on RBI singles by Alcides Escobar and David Lough.
Eric Hosmer chased Wesley Wright in the eighth when he singled to load the bases. He was replaced by Jose Cisnero, who gave up the one-out RBI single by Moustakas, which snapped a 0-for-18 slump. Cisnero then walked Kottaras on four pitches to put the Royals on top.
They added two more runs when Escobar grounded into a force out to score Hosmer before an error by Marwin Gonzalez allowed Moustakas to go home.
Houston's Jimmy Paredes tied a career high with three hits, including a three-run homer in the fourth inning.
Paul Clemens (1-2) took the loss after allowing three hits and two runs while getting only one out before Wright replaced him. Bruce Chen (3-0) pitched a scoreless seventh for the win.
The Royals added a run in the ninth when Elliot Johnson scored on a wild pitch by Cisnero.
Astros starter Bud Norris allowed five hits - all singles - in six inning scoreless innings. He came out for the seventh inning, but was removed before facing a batter with tightness in his back.
It was the second straight game Norris had left early because of back problems. He had his start pushed back two days as a precaution after he left his previous outing with lower- back spasms.
The Royals didn't get a runner past second base until the seventh inning. Norris was replaced by Travis Blackley who allowed back-to-back singles by Hosmer and Lorenzo Cain. Moustakas grounded into a force out which left runners at first and third base.
Paul Clemens took over with two outs, and Escobar greeted him with a pinch-hit, run-scoring single to cut the lead to 3-1.
A sharply hit single by Lough, which Escobar had to leap to avoid, skidded into right field and sent another run home to make it 3-2.
Kansas City starter Wade Davis yielded eight hits and three runs in five-plus innings.
J.D. Martinez hit a one-out single in the fourth inning before Carlos Pena's two-out single. Paredes then launched his first homer of the season into the seats in right field to give Houston a 3-0 lead. Matt Dominguez singled and Gonzalez drew a walk, but Davis escaped the inning when Robbie Grossman grounded out.
The Royals were foiled by their baserunning in two straight innings. Johnson singled with two outs in the third inning, but was thrown out trying to stretch the hit into a double. In the next inning, Alex Gordon led off with a single, but was later caught stealing.
Paredes walked to start Houston's sixth before a single by Dominguez chased Davis. He was replaced by J.C. Gutierrez and Kottaras, the catcher, picked off Paredes when he strayed too far from second base. Gutierrez allowed a single with two outs to Grossman, but worked out of the jam when he retired Jose Altuve.
All of Kansas City's 13 hits were singles.