KANSAS CITY Colton Parayko Jersey , Mo. — These are fun times for the defending World Series champion Houston Astros and trying times for the Kansas City Royals.

1. The Astros will seek their 11th straight victory

Sunday when they close out a three-game series in Kansas City. It will conclude a 10-game Astros road trip in which they have won the first nine, making it the most successful 10-game trip in franchise history. Their previous best was 8-2 last year. They have scored at least six runs in six consecutive games.

“We’re having a good time right now, obviously, we’re in a good stretch,” Astros manager A.J. Hinch said. “And you have to enjoy the ups because there are a lot of times during the season where it can get frustrating.”

Dallas Keuchel picked up his first victory since May 13, allowing two unearned runs over six innings, while Max Stassi and Alex Bregman belted three-run homers as the Astros routed the Royals 10-2 on Saturday.

It has been an exasperating season for the Royals, who have lost five straight and 11 of 12. They are 2-12 in June, scoring 28 runs in 14 games. They fell to 10-25 at home.

They’ve also lost starting right fielder Jorge Soler for at least six weeks, probably longer, with a fractured left big toe.

“He had a CT scan that showed the crack isn’t big enough to warrant surgery right now,” Royals manager Ned Yost said. “We’ll check again in 10 days to see how it’s doing.

“He was very disappointed, very upset last night. I’ve never seen him that upset, a lot of words in numerous languages coming out of his mouth. He knew something was wrong. He was putting together a really, really good, solid year where he’s getting a chance to play every day and was doing some nice things.”

With the Royals’ Triple-A Omaha club playing Friday night in Tacoma, Wash., plus the two-hour time change, they did not have time to get a body to Kansas City for an afternoon game. They will announce Soler’s roster replacement Sunday.

“We’re not the Enterprise, you can’t beam them up,” Yost said.

Meanwhile, first baseman Lucas Duda will join the Storm Chasers on Sunday in Reno to begin a minor league rehab assignment. Duda hit .256 with four home runs and 19 RBIs in 37 games before going on the disabled list May 14 with right foot plantar fasciitis.

Rookie right-hander Brad Keller will make his fourth career start and 25th appearance in the series finale. Keller, who is a Rule 5 draft pick from the Arizona Diamondbacks, is 1-2 with a 2.31 ERA.

Keller is coming off his longest major league start, going 5 1/3 innings in a no-decision last Sunday in Oakland against the A’s. He allowed two runs on five hits.

He has limited opposing hitters to 30 hits, while walking 13 and striking out 23 over 35 innings.

Keller will face the Astros for the first time. Two of his three starts have been against American League West opponents http://www.officialblues.com/authentic-adidas-dmitrij-jaskin-jersey , posting a 2.79 ERA over 9 2/3 innings.

He ranks fourth among AL rookie pitchers with 24 appearances and an opponents’ batting average of .231.

He was primarily a starter in the minors. In 106 appearances, he made 100 starts, including the last 50, but had not pitched above Double-A before this year.

The Astros will counter with right-hander Lance McCullers, who is 8-3 with a 3.83 ERA in 14 starts. He has yielded 66 hits and 35 earned runs over 82 1/3 innings with 32 walks and 81 strikeouts.

McCullers, who has a career 27-19 record with a 3.64 ERA, is 1-0 with a 2.14 ERA in three career starts against the Royals. He had a 2.57 ERA in two no-decisions starts last season against Kansas City, allowing four runs on eight hits over 14 innings, while striking out 18 and walking two.

Salvador Perez has two hits, both home runs, in six at-bats against McCullers.

Ozzie Albies watched the ball sail into the right-field seats and savored the moment.

”It feels great,” he said. ”I just see the ball going and I just enjoyed it.”

Albies hit a grand slam and Freddie Freeman homered during a six-run sixth inning, and the Atlanta Braves beat the reeling New York Mets 8-2 on Tuesday night.

Braves starter Mike Foltynewicz pitched five scoreless innings, allowing two hits and striking out six, but left the game after batting in the fifth with triceps tightness. He told reporters that ”it’s nothing to worry about” and that he’ll make his next scheduled start.

Ender Inciarte added a pair of RBI singles to help Atlanta shake a rough West Coast trip, when it lost four of six. The Braves moved ahead of Washington for first in the NL East by beating a Mets team that has lost nine of 10 and 16 of 20

The Braves led 1-0 in the fourth on Inciarte’s RBI single. New York went up 2-1 in the sixth on Jay Bruce’s two-run ground-rule double, but that was it for the Mets, who have scored 10 runs in their last 78 innings.

Freeman’s 13th homer in the bottom half of the inning tied it, and Inciarte’s single put the Braves ahead for good. A walk to pinch-hitter Preston Tucker loaded the bases and chased starter Zack Wheeler (2-5), and Albies cleared the bases with his 16th homer, coming off Paul Sewald, for a 7-2 lead.

Albies is the first player 21 or younger to hit multiple grand slams in a season since Adrian Beltre hit two for the Dodgers in 2000. He’s the second Braves second baseman with two grand slams in a season, joining Davey Johnson in 1973.

Albies, the NL leader in extra-base hits and runs, had been scuffling with a .125 average since June 1.

”The last two games he’s had some really good at-bats,” Atlanta manager Brian Snitker said. ”You know what he’s capable of. He’s a dynamic young man.”

Shane Carle (4-1) faced just one batter to get the win. Devin Mesoraco grounded sharply to third baseman Johan Camargo Youth Jaden Schwartz Jersey , who lunged to his right to tag Asdrubal Cabrera and made a low throw from his knees that Freeman dug out at first for a double play.

Wheeler allowed eight hits, six runs, four walks and struck out two in 5 2/3 innings.

Foltynewicz, who pitched his first career complete game in his last home start, hit the first batter Tuesday before retiring 13 straight. Mesoraco and Dominic Smith each singled with one out in the top of the fifth, but Foltynewicz escaped trouble with a pair of popups.

Braves pitching coach Chuck Hernandez noticed Foltynewicz was uncomfortable, shaking his right arm after making a pitch. After Foltynewicz acknowledged the triceps were tight, Snitker decided to take him out.

TAKE A SEAT

Mickey Callaway was ejected for the first time as Mets manager after arguing with home plate umpire Stu Scheurwater in the top of the sixth. Brandon Nimmo was hit by Jesse Biddle’s pitch on his elbow, but Scheurwater ruled he did not attempt to get out of the way and declined to award Nimmo first base. Callaway was thrown out while standing near the right-hand side of the batter’s box. ”Obviously they thought Nim put his elbow out in front of the plate to get hit on purpose, but the ball was in the batter’s box, kind of at our player,” Callaway said.

ADDING ON

Nick Markakis went 3 for 4 and added an RBI double in the seventh to make it 8-2. … Freeman improved to 8 for 16 with 10 walks against Wheeler. … New York’s bullpen has a 6.68 ERA in its last 17 games. … Smith, in his first major league game this season, went 1 for 3 with two strikeouts.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Mets: Cabrera was back in the lineup, going 0 for 4 after leaving Sunday’s win over the Yankees in the third inning with left hamstring tightness. Callaway said he will likely give Cabrera an off day with a 12:10 p.m. start on Wednesday.

Braves: LF Ronald Acuna Jr. is hitting off a tee, swinging in the batting cage and running, but has yet to resume what manager vigorous baseball activities. It will be Thursday, at the earliest, before the 20-year-old begins a rehab assignment. Acuna, sidelined 14 games with a left ACL sprain and bruises to his left knee and lower back, said through a translator that he feels no pain when he runs, swings and throws.

UP NEXT

Mets: RHP Jacob deGrom (4-1, 1.57 ERA) leads the majors since April 21 with a 0.81 ERA – a span of nine starts and 55 1/3 innings – but New York has lost his past four outings. He is 5-3 with a 1.84 ERA in 14 career starts against Atlanta.

Braves: Snitker said RHP Mike Soroka will be on a 90-pitch limit while returning from a shoulder strain that’s sidelined him since May 12. Soroka made his first career start May 1, allowing six hits and one run in six innings to beat the Mets in New York.

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