Houston’s deep lineup can create all sorts of problems for its opponents.

Like deciding whether to pitch to Jose Altuve or Carlos Correa.

Correa hit a game-ending RBI single in the 12th inning after Altuve was walked intentionally http://www.49ersauthorizedshops.com/authentic-kentavius-street-jersey , sending the Houston Astros to a 4-3 win over the Kansas City Royals on Saturday night.

”He’s been a very clutch hitter,” Houston manager A.J. Hinch said. ”I’ve seen that base hit to right-center a handful of times during his short career. It does not surprise me that he put a good swing on a fastball away.”

George Springer led off the 12th with a walk, and Alex Bregman followed with a bloop single into shallow right field that fell between three players. An error by Ryan Goins allowed Springer to advance to third.

”We had the shift on,” Royals first baseman Hunter Dozier said of the bloop single. ”Just perfect placement. We all tried, but we just couldn’t get there.”

After Altuve was awarded first, Correa singled into the gap in right-center against Justin Grimm (1-3).

”You get in that situation you have to intentionally walk one,” Grimm said. ”Bases loaded and no outs, just battling with that guy. He put a good swing on a fastball in the outfield. It happened how it happened.”

Correa said he was trying to drive the ball to get a sacrifice fly or something to the outfield. It was his sixth career game-ending hit and first since August 1, 2016, against Toronto.

”I don’t know how many career walk-offs I have,” Correa said. ”Every single time they walk Altuve. They walk him because the best hitter in the game is hitting in front of me, but at the same time, it’s not an easy task to walk him and get me out.”

Collin McHugh (3-0) pitched a perfect inning for the win. Houston’s bullpen combined for six shutout innings.

”Everybody up and down the staff, we know that our job is to get outs no matter what time of the game it is called upon us to do it,” McHugh said.

Kansas City carried a 3-2 lead into the ninth, but Houston rallied against Brandon Maurer. After Yuli Gurriel and Josh Reddick singled with one out, Evan Gattis hit a tying sacrifice fly to left. Marwin Gonzalez then walked http://www.billsauthorizedshops.com/authentic-harrison-phillips-jersey , but Brian McCann grounded out to end the inning.

The Royals wasted a solid start by Ian Kennedy in their 10th loss in 11 games. Kennedy allowed two runs and four hits in seven innings.

Kansas City jumped in front on Dozier’s three-run homer in the fourth, but Correa hit a sacrifice fly and Gurriel homered to trim the Royals’ lead to 3-2 in the bottom half of the inning.

”Hunter gave us a big lift with the three-run jack,” Kansas City manager Ned Yost said. ”We just couldn’t really muster anything outside of that. If we could just find a way to tack on a run here or there it would be beneficial for us.”

Houston right-hander Lance McCullers Jr. struck out nine in six innings. He permitted four hits and walked two.

ALTUVE MOVING UP THE CHARTS

Altuve tied Terry Puhl for seventh in Astros history with 1,357 hits with his double in the fourth. Altuve tied Bill Doran for ninth place in franchise history with 611 runs when he scored in the fourth.

HE SAID IT

”He’s going to do that 99 times out of 100. He did exactly what I thought he would.” – McHugh on Correa’s game-ending hit.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Royals: 1B Lucas Duda (right foot) was recalled from his rehab assignment with Triple-A Omaha and started at designated hitter. He went 1 for 4 with a ninth-inning single. OF Paulo Orlando was optioned to Omaha to make room on the roster for Duda.

UP NEXT

Royals: RHP Jason Hammel (2-8) will make his 16th start of the season Sunday in the series finale. Hammel has a 2.85 ERA in nine appearances – eight starts – against the Astros.

Astros: RHP Gerrit Cole (8-1) will make his 16th start of the season looking for his seventh straight win. Cole walked a career-high five and allowed four runs for a second straight outing in earning a no-decision Monday against the Rays.

Another day, another Cincinnati grand slam.

Jose Peraza kept up the parade of slams, sending Matt Harvey and the Reds over the NL Central-leading Milwaukee Brewers 8-2 Sunday.

Peraza connected in the sixth inning for the Reds’ major league-leading ninth slam this year, tying the single-season franchise record set in 2002. It was Cincinnati’s second in two games and third in the last eight – pitcher Mike Lorenzen had a pinch-hit slam Saturday, and pitcher Anthony DeSclafani went deep with the bases loaded on June 24 against the Cubs.

”I just tried to hit the ball,” the shortstop said. ”When I hit the ball in the sky, I say, `Wow, it’s a home run.’ Everybody is happy.”

Peraza hit his first career slam, tagging reliever Aaron Wilkerson.

Eight different Reds have hit grand slams. Adam Duvall is the only player with two.

The last-place Reds have won 11 of 14, and the last eight of 11 against teams that were in first place when their series started.

”We know we can play with these guys (division leaders),” manager Jim Riggleman said. ”We’ve got to go through those guys and win our share.”

Harvey (4-5) allowed two hits in 5 2/3 innings and won his third straight start as the Reds salvaged a split of the four-game series. Ryan Braun’s two-run homer in the ninth allowed the Brewers to avoid their 11th shutout loss of the season.

Joey Votto, National League RBI leader Eugenio Suarez and Scott Schebler had consecutive run-scoring singles in the first inning against previously unbeaten rookie Freddy Peralta (3-1).

Harvey, acquired in May from the Mets http://www.billsauthorizedshops.com/authentic-taron-johnson-jersey , struck out six and walked none. The right-hander didn’t return after a 54-minute rain delay.

”It was one of those when you come in and try to do as much as you can,” Harvey said. ”You come in and put a heat pack on, but once it creeps up to an hour … That’s the best I’ve felt in a long time. I could smell the CG (complete game) coming or at least getting deep in the game. I was pretty much in control the whole time, but I’m happy about the outing and another Reds win.”

Pitching in a gametime temperature of 93 humid degrees, Harvey retired the first 12 batters before Travis Shaw outflanked a defensive shift with an opposite-field single to left leading off the fifth.

Cincinnati’s first six batters reached base against Peralta, who’d allowed just a .093 opponents’ batting average (7 for 75) in his first four starts, all Milwaukee wins. He recovered from throwing 43 pitches in the first inning to retire the last 10 and 15 of the last 16 batters he faced.

”It started out rough,” Milwaukee manager Craig Counsell said. ”He righted it. It was cool to see him right it. That’s a lesson that you’ve got to get it going right away or a big league team will take advantage of it. I thought he handled it very well.”

CHANGE OF SCENERY

The Brewers optioned .197-hitting SS Orlando Arcia to Triple-A Colorado Springs before the game. ”He’s been a good major league hitter,” Counsell said. ”He’s been a dominant minor league hitter. We’re confident he will get things going again.”

MOVING UP

Votto’s two hits pushed him past Hall of Famer Frank Robinson into ninth place on the Reds’ career hits list with 1,674. Brandon Phillips is eighth with 1,774 hits.

LAST MINUTE

Braun’s ninth-inning homer gave the Brewers at least one in each of their last 19 games at Great American Ball Park, the longest streak by any team, including the Reds.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Brewers: OF Christian Yelich took some swings before Sunday’s game, the third he’d missed since leaving Thursday’s game with a tight lower back.

UP NEXT

Brewers: LHP Brent Suter (8-5) is 6-2 with a 3.50 ERA over his last eight starts.

Reds: RHP Luis Castillo (5-8) didn’t allow a home run in his last start, but he still leads NL pitchers in homers allowed with 18.