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Kansas City, MO (Sports Network) - Scott Podsednik turned the game around with one swing, a three-run home run in the seventh inning, to lift Kansas City to a 5-2 come-from-behind win over Houston in the rubber match of a three-game set at Kauffman Stadium.
Mike Aviles had a pair of hits, scored a run and knocked in a run, as Kansas won for a third time in its last four tries.
Victor Marte (2-0) grabbed the win with a scoreless inning in relief for the Royals, who are 5-5 in series-deciding games this season. Anthony Lerew was solid in his first big league action this season, allowing two runs on three hits over six frames, while walking two and striking out seven.
Brett Myers (4-5) suffered the loss after allowing four runs on seven hits over 6 2/3 innings, while walking two and striking out three, as the Astros fell for a fifth time in their last six games.
Hunter Pence lined a two-out, two-run double to left field, just out of the reach of Podsednik, to get the scoring started in the first inning.
Lerew did not allow another runner past first base and set down the Astros in turn three times over his final five innings.
Myers kept the Royals blanked on three hits into the seventh before the home team erupted for four runs with two outs. Aviles started the rally with a single, moved to second base on a Wilson Betemit base hit and scored on Yuniesky Betancourt's single to leftf ield. Podsednik followed with his third long ball of the season to put Kansas City ahead for good and end Myers' run of 43 1/3 innings without yielding a home run.
"Yeah, for some strange reason throughout my career, I've fared pretty well against Houston," Podsednik said. "I have no idea why. Certain guys play well against certain clubs and certain pitchers. But it seems like earlier in my career when I was in the National League I fared pretty well against them."
The Royals tacked on an insurance run in the eighth against Wilton Lopez when Billy Butler doubled, moved up on a Jose Guillen single and scored when Aviles bounced into a force play at second base.
Joakim Soria took over in the ninth and gave up a pair of singles before striking out Cory Sullivan and getting Pedro Feliz to fly out to right field to end the game and earn his 16th save.
Houston finished its 10-game road trip at 4-6...The Astros are 16-11 against the Royals, including a 10-5 mark in Kansas City...Guillen extended his hitting streak to 12 games, while David DeJesus went hitless in four tries and lost a 13-game home hit string...Lerew was 5-3 with a 2.84 earned run average in 14 games, 11 starts, at Triple-A Omaha before his promotion...Myers is 1-2 in interleague action this year...In the fifth inning, a strange play occurred where the umpires initially ruled a double play had been recorded before reversing the call once the players had left the field. The play happened when Houston's Geoff Blum was initially ruled to have caught the ball, only to have the umpires decide it hit the ground. They called the batter out, although Blum had never thrown to first -- he had "caught" the ball before throwing to second for the next out. The umpires placed the runner at third, as if he had advanced on the play, although no run scored after Podsednik lined out.