(Sports Network) - Mike Aviles went 4-5 with four runs batted in and three runs scored, as the Kansas City Royals used a seven-run fifth inning to take down the Houston Astros, 15-7, in the opener of a three game interleague series at Kauffman Stadium.
Yuniesky Betancourt hit a three-run double and scored a run for the Royals, who have won two in a row and four of five overall.
Scott Podsednik went 2-for-5 with a run scored and two RBI, Billy Butler added three hits and three runs scored with an RBI and Alberto Callaspo ended 3- for-5 with two runs batted in and two runs scored for Kansas City, which tied a season-high with 20 hits.
Starter Kyle Davies got rocked in three-plus innings, allowing six runs on six hits. Kanekoa Texeira (1-1) tossed two scoreless frames of relief to record his first win in the majors.
Jason Michaels hit a solo homer, scored twice, and knocked in two runs for the Astros, who were swept by the Yankees in New York over the weekend. Pedro Feliz and Michael Bourn both drove in two runs in defeat.
Felipe Paulino (1-8) gave up 10 runs — eight earned — on 11 hits to go with three walks in a 4 2/3-inning start to take the loss.
Trailing 6-3, the Royals put together a seven-run fifth — all with two outs — to go in front. David DeJesus singled, Butler walked, and Jose Guillen advanced to first on catcher’s interference to load the bases. Back-to-back singles by Callaspo and Aviles plated a total of three runs. Mitch Maier then walked to load the bases again, and Betancourt cleared them with a double to left.
Tim Byrdak relived Paulino and Podsednik welcomed him to the mound with an RBI base hit. Jason Kendall went down swinging to end the frame, but not before Kansas City took a 10-6 lead.
The Royals added two more runs in the sixth to take a 12-6 advantage. Butler doubled and came around to score thanks to a pair of wild pitches by Casey Daigle. Aviles added an RBI single later in the inning.
Victor Marte pitched a perfect sixth and seventh before giving up a solo homer to Michaels in the top of the eighth.
The Royals added three runs in the home eighth to make it a 15-7 game.
Kansas City got on the board in the first on Butler’s RBI base hit. The Astros tied the game in the top of the second on Feliz’s run-scoring double.
The Royals plated two runs in the home second to take a 3-1 lead. Maier hit an RBI double and Podsednik hit a sacrifice fly later in the frame.
Houston used a five-run fourth to go in front. Lance Berkman doubled and came around to score on Carlos Lee’s single. Hunter Pence hit a two-bagger of his own, and Feliz and Michaels both followed with RBI singles. Kanekoa Texeira relieved Davies and recorded two quick outs. Bourn, though, laced a two-run double to left to give the Astros a 6-3 lead.