Alcides Escobar’s spectacular catch-and-throw bolsters Ian Kennedy in Royals’ 6-2 victory over Astros

One moment, Alcides Escobar was sprinting backward, sliding on his backside in shallow center field, making the most wondrous catch of this young Royals season. He had robbed Houston’s Marwin Gonzalez of a hit in the bottom of the sixth inning, the latest, greatest clip for the Royals’ defensive highlight reel, and if all of this wasn’t enough, he was now ready to record another out.

In the next instant, Escobar, the Royals shortstop, was spinning to his feet, turning back toward the infield, and firing a perfect strike to first baseman Eric Hosmer. The throw doubled off a stunned Carlos Gomez. The play sent a shot of adrenalin through starting pitcher Ian Kennedy. The moment defined the evening as the Royals wiped out the Astros 6-2 on Thursday night, clinching a third victory in four games against a rising threat in the American League power structure.

Alcides Escobar discusses his defensive gem 

“One of the best plays I’ve ever seen in person, probably,” Kennedy said, a smile forming on his face in the visitor’s clubhouse at Minute Maid Park.

“That was awesome. That pumped me up.”

The night fit a theme. The Royals, 7-2, spent four days in Houston, their first trip out on the road, flexing their muscles in the season’s opening days. They won with sterling starting pitching and sturdy bullpen work. They won with timely offense and opportunistic hacking. They may have saved their best performance for Thursday night.

Kennedy yielded just one run in seven innings, backing up his terrific debut at Kauffman Stadium. Five days after holding the Minnesota Twins scoreless for 6  2/3 innings, Kennedy breezed through five innings without allowing a hit. The no-hit bid was broken up by Gomez in the bottom of the sixth. Moments later, he was erased by the brilliance of Escobar, who turned a potential bloop single — and a possible rally — into a whirling dervish of a double play.

Statcast breaks down Alcides Escobar’s incredible defensive play 

“To have the awareness to turn around and throw it,” Hosmer said, “that’s unbelievable.”

Moments later, catcher Salvador Perez strolled by in a victorious postgame scene.

“He’s the best, Papi,” Perez said.

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Escobar’s play highlighted a night of sound defense. Kennedy was the primary beneficiary. A year ago, he toiled in San Diego, pitching in front of one of the National League’s worst defenses. In certain moments, he would imagine what it would be like to pitch for even an average defense. In 2016, he is pitching in front of the Royals, and the difference was evident Thursday night. Center fielder Lorenzo Cain spent most of the night tracking down balls in center field. Kennedy spent the night recording outs and tipping his cap.

“It’s really fun to watch,” Kennedy said. “They can run down everything in the outfield. The bloopers don’t fall. The hits in the gap are run down.”

Kennedy finally gave up his first run of the year in the seventh, when Astros second baseman Jose Altuve homered into the bullpen in right-center field. Kennedy said the pitch was down and away, where he wanted it. By then, it didn’t matter. The Royals had already buried Houston with an offensive onslaught against Astros starter Doug Fister in the sixth.

The inning began in harmless fashion. Paulo Orlando singled to right field before Fister coaxed fly-outs from Escobar and Mike Moustakas. Then the lights took over.

In the offseason, the Astros installed a new set of LED stadium lights at Minute Maid Park. The modern lighting system is energy efficient and becoming more common in stadiums across America. The rub: They can also be brighter and harsher than traditional halogen lights.

So when Cain lifted a fly ball to right field with two outs, Astros right fielder George Springer couldn’t find the ball amidst the blinding glow of LED. The ball fell in safely. The Royals pounced, exploding with three straight two-out doubles from Hosmer, Kendrys Morales and Alex Gordon. Moments later, Perez chased Fister with an RBI single to center. When the carnage was done, the Royals had sent 10 men to the plate and scored five runs.

The only remaining drama: Could Kennedy continue his no-hit bid into the late innings? The answer came quickly; Gomez singled to center to lead off the sixth.

“That’s a really tough lineup to try to do that to,” Kennedy said. “You’ve got to navigate through them.

He still lasted seven innings, allowing just two hits and two walks while striking out seven. The performance was an encouraging encore after a solid opener. In the offseason, the Royals lavished a five-year, $70 million deal on Kennedy, a money play designed to offer insurance and stability for the starting rotation. In two outings, he has allowed just one run in 13  2/3 innings.

“It’s kind of what we expected,” Yost said. “It’s a guy that really competes well.”

Moustakas opened the scoring with a solo homer in the top of the first inning, his third blast in nine games. He added a single in the ninth.

Closer Wade Davis picked up his fourth save of the year, recording two outs in the ninth inning after left-hander Danny Duffy ran into trouble.

Second baseman Omar Infante finished 2 for 4, raising his season average to .310. Cain, Hosmer and Gordon all added two hits as the Royals offense, mostly quiet through the first eight games, came alive with a vengeance Thursday night. Kansas City finished with 13 hits. The Royals scored six runs while also leaving seven men on base.

After Moustakas’ early homer, Kennedy and Fister exchanged scoreless innings for the next four innings. Then came the fateful sixth inning. The Royals piled on after the LED lights foiled the Astros. Escobar punctuated the victory with a majestic catch.

“I know I got a chance to make the play,” Escobar said, “and I hear Cain say, ‘First, first.’ When I got to the ball, I was like ‘Wow, that’s a really good play right there.’

“It’s unbelievable,” he continued. “One of the best I made.”

b-singled for J.Castro in the 9th.

1-ran for Moustakas in the 9th.

LOB: Kansas City 7, Houston 2. 2B: Hosmer (1), K.Morales (3), A.Gordon (2), Altuve (4). HR: Moustakas (3), off Fister; Altuve (3), off Kennedy. RBIs: Moustakas (4), Hosmer 2 (4), K.Morales (6), A.Gordon (2), S.Perez (5), Altuve (5), Correa (7). CS: Col.Rasmus (1).

Runners left in scoring position: Kansas City 3 (K.Morales, Orlando 2); Houston 1 (Col.Rasmus). RISP: Kansas City 5 for 8; Houston 1 for 3. GIDP: Col.Rasmus. DP: Kansas City 3 (S.Perez, S.Perez, Infante), (A.Escobar, Hosmer), (Infante, A.Escobar, Hosmer).

Inherited runners-scored: W.Davis 2-0, Devenski 1-0. WP: Fister.

Umpires: Home, Jim Wolf; First, Adrian Johnson; Second, Gary Cederstrom; Third, Eric Cooper. Time: 2:41. Att: 21,203.

This story was originally published April 14, 2016 at 9:58 PM.