had never met the future Hall of Famer from Panama

Houston Astros manager AJ Hinch watched his team load the bases in front of hot-hitting Evan Gattis http://www.seahawksfootballauthentics.com/phil-haynes-jersey-authentic , and all he wanted was the big designated hitter to send a drive to the outfield and keep the line moving.

Hinch had to settle for one that cleared the fence.

Cleared the bases, too.

Gattis crushed a go-ahead grand slam in the sixth inning Friday night, Alex Bregman and Carlos Correa also went deep, and the Astros rolled past the Kansas City Royals 7-3 for their ninth straight win.

”We’re shaking hands after a lot of his at-bats,” Hinch said of Gattis, who has five homers in the first eight games of the Astros’ road trip. ”When guys are hot, there’s a ton of energy and a ton of fun.”

Charlie Morton (8-1) overcame another bout of wildness, at one point walking three straight batters, to last six innings for Houston. He allowed four hits and four walks while striking out nine.

Brad Peacock, Tony Sipp and Collin McHugh each contributed a scoreless inning in relief to wrap up the Astros’ latest win. All but one during their streak has come away from Minute Maid Park.

”I think our guys are just methodically going through their days,” Hinch said. ”This is a long road trip and it’s a lot more fun when you’re winning.”

The Royals, meanwhile, have lost four straight and 10 of 11.

Jakob Junis (5-7) served up all three Houston homers, getting tagged for six runs on seven hits and a walk. It was his fourth straight loss, his last win coming against the New York Yankees on May 18.

”We were putting some really good swings on it. We were hitting some balls hard,” Morton said with a grin. ”Really, I was just waiting for the dam to break.”

The Royals gave Junis some support early, jumping ahead 2-0 in the third on a two-out double by Mike Moustakas. It was a buoying at-bat considering the meek-hitting Kansas City lineup managed a single run in getting swept by Cincinnati during a two-game set this week.

It appeared the lead might stand Ugo Amadi Jersey , too, the way Junis breezed through the first three innings.

Bregman changed all that with his ninth homer of the season, a shot that just skirted the left-field foul pole. Correa added his 455-foot home run two batters later to tie the game.

Morton’s wildness allowed the Royals to regain the lead in the fifth, but Junis coughed it back up in the sixth. He gave up three straight one-out singles to load the bases for Gattis, whose soaring, 405-foot grand slam was the second of his career and third by the Astros this season.

It was also the second slam permitted by the Royals in their last two games.

”I was hoping we would get either a flyout or a mishit. I didn’t think I left it right over the plate,” Junis said. ”I thought it was up and away. He just put a good swing on it.”

ASTROS MOVES

Houston recalled 3B Tyler White from Triple-A Fresno and placed LHP Reymin Guduan on the paternity leave list. White was hitting .338 with 13 homers and a .444 on-base percentage, the second-highest in all of Triple-A. Guduan can miss no more than three games while on the paternity list.

ROYALS MOVES

Kansas City selected the contract of RHP Brandon Maurer from Triple-A Omaha and optioned RHP Jason Adam to the same club. Maurer was 0-2 with a 12.46 ERA for the Royals before he was sent outright to the minor league club on May 3. He’s worked 11 straight scoreless appearances at Omaha.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Astros RHP Joe Smith (elbow inflammation) rejoined the team, and Hinch said the reliever is ”pain free and the next step is to initiate a throwing program.” That could happen by the end of the weekend.

Royals OF Jorge Soler left after stumbling out of the batter’s box in the sixth. He was taken for X-rays that revealed a broken left foot. ”It will be awhile when your feet are hurt,” Royals manager Ned Yost said. ”They’re going to give it a CT scan or whatever. We’ll have a better idea. X-rays showed a positive break. We don’t think it’s a surgical thing right now. The CT scan will give us more of a look.”

UP NEXT

Struggling LHP Dallas Keuchel (3-8, 4.45 ERA) starts for the Astros and LHP Danny Duffy (3-6, 5.28) gets the nod for the Royals for a Saturday matinee with temperatures expected to approach triple digits.

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In his latest peak performance, Luis Severino took matters into his own hands – and glove.

Severino jumped to steal away a popup from catcher Gary Sanchez while pitching eight sharp innings, leading the New York Yankees over the Tampa Bay Rays 4-1 Saturday.

”He didn’t say, `I got it’ and I was there,” Severino quipped. ”So you know I went for the ball. . He said, `You took it from my glove.”’

Giancarlo Stanton and Sanchez hit back-to-back home runs as New York won for the 13th time in 16 games. It was the Rays’ 18th loss in 22 games at Yankee Stadium.

Severino (10-2) simply overwhelmed a weak-hitting Rays lineup that has produced just one run over its last 21 innings. The 24-year-old righty gave up three hits, struck out nine and walked two Jonah Williams Jersey , tying Cleveland’s Corey Kluber for the AL win lead.

Severino showed off other talents, too.

In the fifth, Carlos Gomez led off with a popup high above the plate. As Sanchez looked into the sun trying to find the ball, Severino sprung off the mound. They were next to each other, slightly in foul ground, when Severino leaped to catch the ball, right above Sanchez’s mitt.

Took it right away from his best friend on the team, in fact.

”I tried to block it a little bit more with the glove. I found the ball, I was in a good spot and I had it right there,” Sanchez said. ”And I was surprised when I heard the steps. I think it was an instinct of his. He tried to assure his out.”

Sanchez gave Severino a look, perhaps wondering why the pitcher came into the picture, before they went back to work.

Said Aaron Judge: ”He’s an athlete out there. I think he is trying to win a Gold Glove.”

The play on Gomez came during a stretch of 11 straight batters Severino retired before Joey Wendle singled with two outs in the seventh. Severino then threw a 99 mph fastball past Gomez to strike him out.

Severino was perfect in the eighth, and Chasen Shreve relieved to begin the ninth.

Matt Duffy hit a leadoff homer against Shreve and homered for just the fourth time this year, cutting the lead 4-1, and Jake Bauers followed with a triple that bounced out of center fielder Aaron Hicks‘ glove.

Yankees closer Aroldis Chapman then set down the next three batters for his 20th save in 21 chances.

The Rays have lost 12 of their last 16 games and have one more game in the Bronx on Sunday before continuing their seven-game road trip Monday with three games at defending champion Houston.

”No matter what stage, rebuild or expected to win or whatever, losing always tends to be something that is not fun,” Duffy said. ”We have some adjustments to make.”

New York has won Severino’s last 12 starts going back to Sept. 3. During that span http://www.thebengalsfootballauthentic.com/drew-sample-jersey-authentic , he is 9-0 with an 1.75 ERA.

Aaron Boone has gotten accustomed to it since taking over as the Yankees manager.

”Obviously, any time he goes I feel great about it,” Boone said. ”He’s a great pitcher. He’s establishing himself as one of the best in the game and he gave us a lot today.”

New York didn’t fare too well against Ryne Stanek, who allowed a hit and struck out one over 1 1/3 scoreless inning on Tampa Bay’s designated ”bullpen day.”

Ryan Yarbrough (5-3) gave up a run in the second on rookie Gleyber Torres‘ two-out double. Didi Gregorius hit an RBI single in the third.

Stanton connected in the fifth for his 16th home run. Four pitches later, Sanchez hit his 13th homer over the center field fence – that snapped a homerless streak of 66 at-bats dating to May 19.

ROSTER MOVES

Prior to the game, the Yankees acquired 2B Wendell Rijo to complete the May 25 trade that sent C Erik Kratz to Milwaukee. The 22-year-old will report to Single-A Tampa. Rijo was hitting .200 with four homers and 14 RBI in 32 games for Double-A Biloxi in the Southern League.

MO-MENTUM

Yankees prospect Jonathan Loaisiga felt honored by the glowing remarks Rays manager Kevin Cash made after the 23-year-old debuted Friday night with a win, throwing five scoreless innings while striking out six while walking four.

Cash compared the Nicaraguan rookie to Mariano Rivera, baseball’s all-time saves leader, but joked he was hopeful that Loaisiga wouldn’t develop the same devastating cutter that the former Yankees closer owned.

”I think that comment is something very flattering because to mention Mariano, you’re talking about a superstar and someone who was historic,” said Loaisiga, adding that he had never met the future Hall of Famer from Panama. ”I think that it’s something that almost too good.”

UP NEXT

Yankees veteran lefty CC Sabathia (4-1, 3.27 ERA) will try to win his third straight start Sunday. For the second consecutive game, Tampa Bay ”start” a reliever, this time Wilmer Font (0-1, 6.87 ERA).