ALDS Game 2: Royals rally after early deficit, even series with the Astros

Things looked rough for the Kansas City Royals early, but they battled their way back against the Houston Astros winning 5-4 and evening the series.

Johnny Cueto's struggles continued, as the right-hander allowed four runs in the first three innings. He would eventually settle down, tossing six innings during the contest.

The Astros were in good shape until the sixth inning. Scott Kazmir left the game after giving up a double with one out. Oliver Perez was sent in, and gave up a bloop single to Eric Hosmer to cut the lead. Sal Perez would eventually walk with the bases loaded to tie things up.

In the following inning, the Royals completed the comeback. Alcides Escobar led things off with a triple and was driven in on a Ben Zobrist single.

With a 5-4 lead, the Royals bullpen went into shutdown mode. Ryan Madson struck out two during a perfect eighth while Wade Davis was able to close things out in the ninth.

• Ben Zobrist came through in a big way during the contest. The 34-year-old infielder picked up the biggest hit of the night, driving in the go-ahead run on a single in the seventh inning. He also singled earlier in the game. Zobrist finished 2 for 4 with one RBI. It was a pretty significant RBI.

• Alcides Escobar's triple to open the seventh inning was a game-changer. With the game tied, Escobar immediately put himself in scoring position. It paid off, as he scored the go-ahead run on Zobrist's single. Escobar also bunted for a hit earlier in the contest. He finished 2 for 4, with one run scored. His triple was arguably the most important hit of the game for Kansas City. 

• The Astros may have lost, but Colby Rasmus deserves some credit. The outfielder drove in a run on a double in the first inning and added a solo home run in the third. He's one of the hottest hitters on the planet right now.

• Josh Fields had a tough job Friday. With one out and the bases loaded in the sixth inning, he was called upon to put out the fire. He didn't come through. Fields looked rattled on the mound, walking Salvador Perez on four pitches. The walk tied the game. Fields managed to strike out the next two batters, but the damage was already done.

• Will Harris was called upon to quiet the Royals in the seventh inning, and couldn't get the job done. The righty gave up a triple against Alcides Escobar to open the inning. A mound visit couldn't calm him down. The next batter, Ben Zobrist, drove in the go-ahead run on an RBI single.

• Carlos Gomez barely played in Game 2, but he made a crucial mistake. With the Astros down by one run in the ninth, Preston Tucker worked a walk against Wade Davis. Gomez was called upon to pinch run, and was picked off by Davis immediately. Instead of giving the Astros a chance at a comeback, Gomez made a huge blunder.

The Sal Perez walk in the sixth inning was pretty huge. It tied things up, and got the home fans loud. That said, Alcides Ecsobar's triple to open the bottom of the seventh stands out. The hit seemed to guarantee the Royals would score a run during the frame, helping them complete the comeback. That turned out to be the case, as Ben Zobrist recorded the go-ahead RBI single in the next at-bat.

The Astros may have lost, but you can't blame Colby Rasmus for that.

This seems crazy after their run last year, but it took the Royals 16 innings to grab their first lead in the series.

For a while, things looked bleak for the defending American League champs. But, as they showed last season, the Royals have a ton of fight. The team's comeback will likely be the major storyline to come out of this game. Instead of being down 2-0 heading to Houston, the series is now tied. The team's Game 2 comeback could be viewed as a turning point in the season if the Royals make another deep run.

There will also definitely be talk about Johnny Cueto's struggles. While he settled in after the first three innings, Cueto didn't do much to quell concerns about his second-half problems. Those issues could come into play should the Royals advance, or if they extend the series to Game 5.

The series is heading to Houston now. Edinson Volquez (13-9, 3.55) will take on Cy Young contender Dallas Keuchel (20-8, 2.48). The game will air Sunday on MLB Network at 4 p.m. ET.

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Chris Cwik is a writer for Big League Stew on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at christophercwik@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter! Follow @Chris_Cwik