HOUSTON -- Grind, grind, grind. That has been a trait of the Royals the past three seasons. When the offense isn't producing -- the Royals had five runs over the first three games -- they find a way to get it done.
And the Royals did just that in Friday night's 5-1 win over the Astros.
The Royals loaded the bases in the sixth and seventh innings, but scored just one run. In the sixth, Astros catcher Evan Gattis was called for catcher's interference with Paulo Orlando at the plate. And with the bases loaded again in the eighth, Salvador Perez scored when Gattis committed a passed ball.

Gattis searched for answers afterward.
"I guess [the bat] hit my glove before the ball," Gattis said. "It happens. I guess I've got to keep my glove back further. I guess I just reached for the ball a little bit. It's frustrating."
Royals left fielder Alex Gordon could only shake his head.
"It's a weird game," Gordon said. "Sometimes you line out hard, then you score when someone's bat hits the catcher's mitt."
Gordon finally delivered the big hit the Royals had been waiting for -- a two-run double in the eighth off Astros righty Jandel Gustave that pushed the lead to 5-1.

"That was huge," Royals center fielder Lorenzo Cain said. "We've been scuffling a little bit offensively, so to get that hit was big."
Gordon was looking for a fastball, and he saw one on the first pitch from Gustave.
"We might have been pressing a little bit with runners in scoring position," Gordon said. "I knew they would attack me with the way [Mike Moustakas] is hitting behind me. I got a fastball, and I tried to drive it."
Royals manager Ned Yost looked relieved afterward.
"We had to grind it out," Yost said. "We had opportunities to tack on runs. We just couldn't get it across until Gordy finally got the big double. You knew that sooner or later we were going to break out and get a big hit. Gordy got one."