Astros-Royals preview
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Disneyland might claim to be "The Happiest Place on Earth," but the Kansas City Royals beg to differ.
Kauffman Stadium is the happiest place on the planet for the Royals. They are 25-8 at home, a .758 winning percentage that ranks as the best in the majors.
The Royals return home Friday, opening a five-game homestand with the first three against the Houston Astros, a rematch of the 2015 American League Division Series that Kansas City won in five games with the decisive victory at Kauffman Stadium.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Where else?
The Royals are 12-1 in their past two homestands with the only loss to Justin Verlander and the Detroit Tigers.
On the road, the 2015 World Series champion Royals are mediocre at best. They are 13-25 in away games, leading the American League in road losses.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"I don't think any different of my team than I did when we lost eight in a row," Royals manager Ned Yost said. "We've got a good team."
Kansas City is great at home but poor on the road. The Royals were swept in a two-game abbreviated road trip to New York, losing both games by one run to the Mets.
Right-hander Edinson Volquez, who has won his past two starts, will take the ball in the series opener against the Astros. He's 5-2 with a 2.61 ERA at The K, compared with 2-4 with a 6.82 ERA on the road.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Volquez is tied for third in the AL for most home victories (13) since the start of the 2015 season. The AL leader with 16 home victories is Astros left-hander Dallas Keuchel, who will oppose Volquez in the series opener.
Volquez has never lost to the Astros, posting a 6-0 record with a 2.70 ERA in nine matchups.
Volquez has a 2.70 ERA with opponents hitting .220 against him in the first four innings. From the fifth inning on, Volquez owns a 6.82 ERA, with opposing batters averaging .323.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Keuchel, the 2015 AL Cy Young Award winner, is 3-1 with a 3.82 ERA in six career games, five of them starts, against Kansas City.
Keuchel had his ups and downs against the Royals in the ALDS. He pitched a jewel in Game 3, allowing one run in seven innings at Houston but yielded a three-run homer to Kendrys Morales in Game 5 in one inning in relief.
"There's a special atmosphere in the playoffs you can't duplicate in the regular season, so it's going to be business as usual," Keuchel told mlb.com. "We know they're a good team at home and we look forward to playing them in a weekend series.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"I know it's going to be packed because I was trying to get a suite for my family and friends there, but they're all sold out. That's what happens when you win the world championship."
The Royals won three of four at Minute Maid Park in their first road trip in April. Second baseman Jose Altuve went 8-for-17 with three doubles, two home runs, two walks, six runs and four RBIs in the series. He had a 1.000 slugging percentage and a 1.526 OPS in the four games.
Altuve enters the series hitting .343, reaching base in 26 straight games, the longest active streak in the majors and the second longest of his career. He had a 29-game streak last year from Aug. 1 to Sept. 1.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The Astros have won five straight to improve to 37-36, matching their high-water mark of the season. They were 1-0 after winning their opener at the New York Yankees. A 30-19 record since May 1 has put the Astros back above .500 again.
The Royals will likely get All-Star left-fielder Alex Gordon back this weekend. He has been on the disabled list with a fractured right wrist but has been rehabbing in the minors since Sunday.