HOUSTON
A year ago, the Royals rode to the World Series on the backs of unlikely heroes, young players who had flat-lined during the regular season, then found their moment in October. This year, the Houston Astros may be threatening to do the same.
On Sunday afternoon at Minute Maid Park, those roles belonged to Houston’s Chris Carter and Jason Castro, who sparked an Astros offense with timely hitting in the Astros’ 4-2 victory over the Royals in Game 3 of the American League Division Series.
As the Astros took a 2-1 series lead and moved to the brink of the ALCS, Carter played the role of offensive catalyst, solving Royals starter Edinson Volquez in his first two at-bats and crushing a first-pitch homer off Danny Duffy in the bottom of the seventh.