HOUSTON (AP) — Lorenzo Cain hit a three-run homer in the first inning, and the Kansas City Royals held on for a 3-2 win over the Houston Astros on Tuesday night.

Alcides Escobar and Mike Moustakas hit consecutive singles to start the game before Cain connected on a full-count, 91-mph fastball off Mike Fiers (0-1) to make it 3-0.

The Astros got within 1 in the bottom of the inning after an RBI double by Colby Rasmus followed by a run-scoring single by Tyler White.

Kris Medlen (1-0) allowed six hits and two runs with seven strikeouts in five innings in his 2016 debut. Wade Davis walked two players with one out in the ninth before retiring Jose Altuve and George Springer for his third save.

Fiers settled down after his tough first inning, allowing just three more hits and no runs in the next five innings before he was replaced by Will Harris for the seventh. But the early hole was too much to overcome on a night when the Astros went 2 for 10 with runners in scoring position.

Kansas City’s bullpen was solid after Medlen’s exit, with Luke Hochevar and Kelvin Herrera striking out two each in perfect innings before Joakim Soria took over in the eighth. He allowed one hit and walked one before he was relieved by Davis.

Houston designated hitter Evan Gattis went 0 for 4 with three strikeouts in his first game of the season after starting the year on the disabled list after February surgery to repair a sports hernia.

CHAMPIONSHIP GOLD

The Royals announced on Tuesday that they received permission from Major League baseball to continue to wear the gold accented jerseys and hats that they wore for the first two games of this season during each Friday home game this season. The uniforms, which include hats that have the 2015 World Series Champions logo on the side, are a tribute to their championship season.

Their next Friday home game is April 22 against the Orioles.

PRESIDENTIAL PITCH

Former President George H.W. Bush threw out the ceremonial first pitch before Tuesday’s game. The 91-year-old was pushed onto the field in a wheelchair and tossed the ball left-handed to Monday’s starter Collin McHugh from about five feet in front of the plate. After McHugh grabbed the pitch, which was just a bit outside, Bush raised both of his fists in the air and smiled.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Royals: OF Jarrod Dyson (right oblique strain) went 2 for 5 in his rehabilitation assignment with Triple-A Omaha on Tuesday. Manager Ned Yost said there wasn’t a timetable for his return yet.

Astros: Right-hander Lance McCullers (right shoulder soreness) will make his second rehabilitation start for Double-A Corpus Christi on Saturday.

UP NEXT

Royals: Yordano Ventura (0-0, 3.60) will make his second start of the season on Wednesday. Ventura didn’t factor into the decision in his first start after allowing two hits and two runs and tying a career high with six walks in a 4-3 win over the Twins.

Astros: Scott Feldman (0-1, 9.00) will pitch for Houston on Wednesday. It will be his second start this season after he allowed five hits and four runs in four innings of a 6-4 loss to Milwaukee.

— Associated Press —

HOUSTON (AP) — Collin McHugh bounced back from the shortest start of his career by pitching seven scoreless innings and Colby Rasmus hit a two-run homer as the Houston Astros won their home opener over the Kansas City Royals, 8-2, on Monday night.

Carlos Correa had three hits and two RBI for Houston, Jose Altuve had three hits and rookie Tyler White, who was named the American League player of the week earlier in the day, added a pair of hits for his fourth multi-hit game this year.

McHugh (1-1) allowed eight hits and struck out four in his first start since he allowed six runs and walked two in 1/3 inning of a 16-6 loss to the New York Yankees.

Chris Young (0-2) allowed nine hits and six runs in 4 2/3 innings. The Astros jumped on him early and were up by 1 in the first after an RBI double by Correa when Rasmus launched a towering shot to the second deck in right field to make it 3-0.

Luis Valbuena had an RBI double, Jason Castro drove in a run with a triple and Altuve had a run-scoring single in the fourth to push the lead to 6-0.

The Royals had trouble stringing hits together against McHugh. He got into a bit of a jam in the fifth inning with runners at first and second with one out. But Mike Moustakas grounded into a double play to end the inning. The Royals loaded the bases with one out in the seventh, but McHugh retired Moustakas and Lorenzo Cain to end the threat.

They avoided a shutout when Kendrys Morales connected off Tony Sipp for a two-run homer to left field in the eighth inning.

Eric Hosmer added three hits for the Royals, whose three-game winning streak was snapped.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Royals: OF Jarrod Dyson (right oblique strain) will continue his rehabilitation assignment with Triple-A Omaha on Tuesday after taking a day off on Monday.

Astros: Right-hander Lance McCullers (right shoulder soreness) allowed three hits and one run with four strikeouts in three innings in his first rehabilitation start for Double-A Corpus Christi on Monday night. … DH Evan Gattis (sports hernia surgery) went 1 for 3 with a home run in his fourth rehabilitation game with Corpus Christi.

GIFTS GALORE

Astros owner Jim Crane honored Correa for winning rookie of the year and Dallas Keuchel for his Cy Young Award by giving both of the players black Chevy Silverado pickup trucks. The players were welcomed onto the field as the shiny, new trucks were driven onto the warning track and close to the players. They were also each given paintings that depicted several different images of each player. After they received their gifts, Astros greats Jeff Bagwell and Roger Clemens came onto the field to congratulate Correa and Keuchel and throw out the ceremonial first pitches to them.

WHAT AN ENTRANCE

Houston backup catcher Erik Kratz didn’t make the most graceful entrance when the team was introduced before the game. Kratz tripped on the orange carpet the Astros laid out for the pregame festivities and did a belly flop onto the ground. As soon as he got up several Royals, who were standing on the field after being introduced, laughed and pointed at him. When they were sure he was looking, about five of them tipped their caps to their former teammate, who spent parts of the last two seasons in Kansas City.

UP NEXT

Royals: Kris Medlen makes his first start of 2016 on Tuesday. Medlen went 6-2 with a 4.01 ERA last season after returning from Tommy John surgery following the All-Star break.

Astros: Mike Fiers (0-0, 9.00) takes the mound on Tuesday. Fiers, who threw a no-hitter last season, had a tough time in his 2016 debut, allowing five runs and nine hits in five innings.

— Associated Press —

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Kansas City Royals did not need a hit to score the winning run Sunday. It wasn’t about how they reached base, just what they did once they got there.

Speedy pinch runner Terrance Gore streaked home on a wild pitch with two outs in the 10th inning, scoring with a headfirst slide to lift the Royals over the winless Minnesota Twins 4-3.

The World Series champion Royals rallied for two runs in the ninth to tie it, then dropped the Twins to 0-6. This is Minnesota’s worst start since the Washington Senators moved to the Twin Cities in 1961.

“People wonder why we had (Gore) on our roster. That’s why,” Royals manager Ned Yost said.

Christian Colon drew a leadoff walk in the 10th from Trevor May (0-1). Gore then made his first appearance of the season, running for Colon, and dashed to third on May’s throwing error on a pickoff attempt.

May retired the next two batters and issued a walk. With a 1-2 count on Lorenzo Cain, May threw a breaking ball that bounced off catcher John Ryan Murphy’s chest protector and skittered to the right side of the plate.

“That’s what speed does,” Gore said. “I saw it roll out a little bit and then roll a little more. I said I’ve got a shot at this one and I was going for it.”

Mike Moustakas was on second base when Gore made his mad dash home.

“He’s so fast that anything that scoots away like that, he’s going to make it there,” Moustakas said. “I was happy he ended up going. I think he hesitated for a split second. If I’m hesitating, I’m walking back to third base, and he’s sliding headfirst into home plate and winning a game. It’s unreal how fast he is, but it’s awesome.”

Gore beat Murphy’s throw to May covering the plate. May slammed down his hand in frustration after Gore scored.

Wade Davis (1-0) picked up the victory.

Eric Hosmer snapped an 0 for 14 skid with an RBI triple in the ninth and scored on Kendrys Morales’ sacrifice fly as closer Glen Perkins failed to hold a 3-1 lead.

“I just couldn’t make a pitch to get those guys out,” Perkins said. “I had Hosmer 0-2 and I had Morales 0-2. I need to get those guys out. I didn’t get them out in that situation. It’s 0-2; that’s a strikeout.”

Ricky Nolasco held the Royals to one run, on a homer by Moustakas, and three hits over seven innings in his first start.

“We need that one,” Nolasco said. “It’s a little tough to swallow. We can’t afford to lose too many more before winning a few. A nice little win streak here and we’ll relax and get this thing going.”

Eduardo Nunez went 4 for 4 for Twins, matching his career high in hits.

Miguel Sano and Nunez had RBI singles in the sixth off Edinson Volquez, who struck out 10 and walked none in 5 2/3 innings.

It was Volquez’s first game with at least 10 strikeouts since Sept. 25, 2014 while with Pittsburgh at Atlanta.

Joe Mauer went 3 for 3, was hit by a pitch and walked intentionally in the ninth. The Twins star is hitting .344 in 83 games at Kauffman Stadium.

Brian Dozier homered off Luke Hochevar in the seventh for the other Minnesota run.

The Twins loaded the bases on a bunt single, error and two walks in the ninth, but Dillon Gee struck out Byung Ho Park to end the threat. It was Park’s fourth strikeout.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Twins: OF Danny Santana was put on the 15-day disabled list with a pulled right hamstring. He was hurt Saturday.

ROSTER MOVE

The Twins recalled OF Max Kepler, the 2015 Southern League MVP, from Triple-A Rochester to replace Santana. Kepler, 23, was born in Berlin and in 2009 was given an $800,000 signing bonus, which at the time was a record for a European position player.

UP NEXT

Twins: RHP Kyle Gibson will start the home opener against the White Sox.

Royals: RHP Chris Young will start at Houston, the first road game for the defending World Series champs. The Astros will counter with RHP Collin McHugh, who gave up six runs while getting just one out against the Yankees in his initial start.

— Associated Press —

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Ian Kennedy followed up an unimpressive spring with a strong regular season debut with the Kansas City Royals.

Kennedy pitched 6 2/3 scoreless innings and the Royals hit their first three home runs of the season to beat the winless Minnesota Twins 7-0 Saturday night.

“There was a little more added to it, coming to a new team that’s the defending world champs,” said Kennedy, who was 0-3 with a 6.30 in spring games. “You want to do well. It adds a little more to it in your first outing for them.”

The Twins fell to 0-5 for the first time since the Washington Senators moved to Minnesota in 1961.

Kennedy (1-0), signed by the Royals to a five-year $70 million contract in January, limited the Twins to five hits — including four singles, before being pulled after 109 pitches with two out in the seventh. He walked one and struck out seven.

“This is the pitcher we signed,” Royals manager Ned Yost said. “We don’t even look at spring training numbers. He was on top of his game.”

Mike Moustakas and Lorenzo Cain hit successive home runs in the fourth for the first hits off Twins left-hander Tommy Milone, while Kendrys Morales homered in the sixth off Casey Fien.

“Even those two home runs I felt were two pretty well-placed pitches,” Milone said. “Just good hitters. They were either waiting for it or good adjustments.”

Milone (0-1) allowed four runs — two earned — and four hits in 4 2/3 innings.

Twins shortstop Eduardo Escobar committed two errors — one fielding and one throwing — leading to the two unearned runs in the fifth.

“Everything went wrong that could,” Twins manager Paul Molitor said. “A decent start from Tommy and then the back-to-back homers. We were having trouble getting anything going offensively again. Then we made some mistakes in the field the next inning that kind of opened up the flood gates a little bit.”

Paulo Orlando, who was making his first start of the season, had three hits, including an RBI single in the three-run sixth and scored on Alcides Escobar’s two-out triple.

Chien-Ming Wang, who won 38 games for the Yankees in 2006-07, pitched a scoreless ninth, his first big league appearance since Aug. 24, 2013, while with Toronto.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Twins: CF Danny Santana left with a strained right hamstring in the sixth and will be placed on the disabled list.

Royals: OF Jarrod Dyson (right oblique strain) went 1 for 2 with a RBI, walk and scored two runs Saturday for Triple-A Omaha in his first rehab game.

BUXTON, SANO OUT

CF Bryan Buxton, who was ranked the Twins top prospect entering the season, and LF Miguel Sano, who hit .280 with 18 HRs in 80 games as a rookie, were not in the lineup. Buxton has struck out 10 times in 15 at-bats, while Sano is 2 for 15 with no extra-base hits and striking out eight times. “Some of the guys who have not gotten off to good starts we are giving a little bit of a blow,” Molitor said. “You are just looking for some people to step up and kind of get this ship rolling in a more positive direction.” Buxton replaced the injured Santana in the sixth and struck out in the eighth, while Sano flied out as a pinch hitter with two runners on in the seventh and struck out to end the game.

NO DISGRACING AUGUSTA

Royals manager Ned Yost lives in Georgia, was on the Atlanta Braves’ coaching staff 12 seasons and managed three years in the South Atlantic League, where his teams would play games at Augusta. Yost, however, has never played the Augusta National Golf Club, home of the Masters. “I would not do that,” Yost said. “I would not disgrace that place with me playing golf on it. No way that would ever happen. Even if I was invited to play I would not do that.”

UP NEXT

Twins: RHP Ricky Nolasco, who was limited to 37 1/3 innings last year because of ankle and elbow injuries, will make his first start.

Royals: RHP Edinson Volquez, who threw six scoreless innings to beat the Mets in the season opener, will start the series finale.

— Associated Press —