KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Bobby Witt Jr. had four hits, including two home runs, and five RBI and the Kansas City Royals used a nine-run first inning to defeat the Houston Astros 13-3 Thursday to complete a three-game sweep and extend their winning streak to seven games.
Vinnie Pasquantino, who came into Wednesday's game hitting .108 with no RBI, was 3-for-5 with three RBI and now is hitting .222 with eight RBI.
"To go from zero to eight in two days is pretty good," Pasquantino said. "Hopefully we keep it up. If I could stay at this pace, we'd be in a really good spot.
"It feels good to be a part of the winning."
The Royals completed a perfect seven-game homestand against the White Sox and Astros. It's just the third time in franchise history they've played at least seven games on a homestand without a loss. The other two: seven games in 1988 and eight games in 1985, the year they won their first World Series.
"It's a great feeling," Royals Manager Matt Quatraro said. "I'm really happy for those guys. They've put in a ton of work. And to get off to that kind of start and sustain it for a full week is really challenging and really rewarding."
Brady Singer (2-0) allowed 1 run and 5 hits in 5 innings.
Hunter Brown (0-2) got only two outs, but allowed nine runs and 11 hits.
"For the most part, I was generally over the middle of the dish," Brown said. "I'm definitely not happy about it. I gotta look into it deeper. I've got to sit down with the staff and see what I can do."
The Royals sent 15 men to the plate in the first inning, tying a club record with 11 hits in the inning (also set in 1986 and 2006). It was the second consecutive game they've batted around in an inning, sending 11 men to the plate in a seven-run inning Wednesday night.
"As a team we're just coming into the clubhouse each and every day having that feeling of, 'We're gonna win,'" Witt said.
The feeling was more demure in the other clubhouse.
"We've been tested early, and this team has been tested before," Houston Manager Joe Espada said. "This is going to make us better. It's hard to swallow those losses, but (I have) faith in that group in there. We'll figure it out. When things are just not going your way, that's the stuff that happens."
Maikel Garcia (two singles), Witt (a single and a home run) and Pasquantino (two singles) each had two hits and two RBI in the first inning. Everyone in the starting lineup had at least one hit in the inning except Kyle Isbel.
The Astros had baserunners in nearly every inning, but got only a home run in the fourth from Yainer Diaz and a pair of runs in the sixth, snapping a 19 1/3-inning scoreless streak by the Royals bullpen.
ORIOLES 9, RED SOX 4 (10) Colton Cowser hit the first two home runs of his career, including a three-run shot in the 10th inning, and Baltimore rallied past the Boston to complete a three-game sweep of their AL East rivals. Gunnar Henderson opened the Orioles' six-run 10th with a two-run home run against former University of Arkansas player Isaiah Campbell (0-1), scoring automatic runner Jackson Holliday. The 20-year-old Holliday, baseball's top-rated prospect who made his big league debut a night earlier, scored two runs but went 0-for-4 for the second consecutive game.
NATIONAL LEAGUE
METS 16, BRAVES 4 DJ Stewart hit a two-run home run in New York's four-run third inning and pinch-hitter Tyrone Taylor hit a ninth-inning grand slam to cap the rout as the Mets beat Atlanta. Jose Quintana (1-1) gave up three runs in 5 1/3 innings. Jeff McNeil drove in three runs with two hits in the best game of the season for the Mets' bats. New York set season highs for runs and with 16 hits. Stewart's home run, which gave the Mets a 7-0 lead, was his second of the series. The designated hitter had no hits this season before hitting a two-run home run in the Mets' 8-7 win in the series opener on Monday night. Infielder Luis Guillorme gave up the grand slam to Taylor in his first appearance with the Braves. Guillorme was used as a pitcher for the first time since appearances on the mound for the Mets in the 2020 and 2021 seasons. Right-hander Allan Winans (0-1) allowed 7 runs, 6 earned, in 5 innings
PHILLIES 5, PIRATES 1 Ranger Suarez struck out eight over six shutout innings, Brandon Marsh and Bryson Stott hit two-run home runs and Alec Bohm also went deep to lead Philadelphia past Pittsburgh. The Phillies won the opener of a season-high, 10-game homestand that included four with the Pirates, and three games each against the Colorado Rockies and Chicago White Sox.
New York Mets outfielder DJ Stewart (29) celebrates his two-run homer with New York Mets second base Jeff McNeil at home plate during the third inning of a baseball game against Atlanta Braves, Thursday, April 11, 2024, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart)
New York Mets pitcher Jose Quintana (62) delivers against the Atlanta Braves during the first inning of a baseball game, Thursday, April 11, 2024, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart)
New York Mets second base Jeff McNeil (1) hits an RBI-double against the Atlanta Braves during the third inning of a baseball game, Thursday, April 11, 2024, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart)
New York Mets outfielder DJ Stewart (29) celebrates hitting an two-run homer against the Atlanta Braves during the third inning of a baseball game, Thursday, April 11, 2024, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart)
New York Mets catcher Francisco Alvarez (4) celebrates his RBI-double against the Atlanta Braves during the third inning of a baseball game, Thursday, April 11, 2024, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart)
New York Mets third base Brett Baty (22) hits a single during the second inning of a baseball game against the Atlanta Braves, Thursday, April 11, 2024, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart)
Atlanta Braves pitcher Allan Winans (72) delivers during the first inning of a baseball game against the New York Mets, Thursday, April 11, 2024, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart)
New York Mets outfielder Harrison Bader (44) makes the catch for an out off the bat of Atlanta Braves third base Austin Riley during the first inning of a baseball game, Thursday, April 11, 2024, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart)
New York Mets first base Pete Alonso (20) hits a base hit during the second inning of a baseball game agaimnst the Atlanta Braves, Thursday, April 11, 2024, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart)