Royals fend off Houston rally

Whit Merrifield, Hunter Dozier and Emmanuel Rivera hit home runs as the Kansas City Royals snapped Houston's eight-game winning streak in a 7-4 decision Wednesday.

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July 7, 2022 - 2:06 PM

Kansas City Royals infielder Whit Merrifield fields a ground ball and makes the throw to first to retire the Houston Astros' Alex Bregman in the seventh inning at Minute Maid Park on Wednesday, July 6, 2022, in Houston. Photo by (Logan Riely/Getty Images/TNS)

HOUSTON (AP) — Whit Merrifield, Hunter Dozier and Emmanuel Rivera all homered as the Kansas City Royals roughed up Cristian Javier early and held on for a 7-4 win over Houston on Wednesday night, ending the Astros’ major league-best eight-game winning streak.

Javier (6-4) had allowed one hit in 14 innings over his last two starts, which included seven innings of a combined no-hitter against the Yankees on June 25. He struck out 27 in those two appearances, both wins. But the Royals got to him almost immediately.

Merrifield sent Javier’s third pitch into the seats in left field for his fourth homer this season. Javier walked Andrew Benintendi before Dozier’s two-out shot to the Crawford Boxes in left field made it 3-0. Rivera homered to left-center in the second.

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