Astros’ big bats go quiet in series finale

Colby Rasmus’ bat carried the Astros through much of their now-ended playoff run.

Carlos Correa’s bat nearly delivered an American League Division Series victory when he pounded two home runs and added an RBI double Monday during Game 4 at Minute Maid Park.

When it counted most in the series’ decisive game Wednesday against the Royals and Johnny Cueto at Kauffman Stadium, neither was a factor for Houston at the plate.

Rasmus, who entered Game 5 batting .500 with four home runs this postseason, took a hat trick against Cueto. He struck out looking in the second and went down swinging in the fourth and seventh.

Correa fared a bit better, but still endured an unproductive night. He chased Rios to the warning track in right field with a first-inning flyball then lined sharply to Lorenzo Cain in center field in the fourth.

Leading off the seventh inning, Correa ripped a liner that appeared ticketed for the right-center gap, but the Royals second baseman retreated a couple of steps and snared the shot with a leap before tumbling into the outfield grass.

Of course, it wasn’t just Rasmus and Correa.

Houston didn’t have a baserunner, much less a hit, after Luis Valbuena’s second-inning home run staked the Astros to a 2-0 lead.

Cueto retired the next 19 batters and Wade Davis tossed a perfect ninth to close out the series when George Springer’s deep fly to right settled into Paulo Orlando’s glove.

This story was originally published October 14, 2015 at 10:39 PM with the headline "Astros’ big bats go quiet in series finale."