Rookie Daniel Lynch produced a second consecutive solid and veteran Salvador Perez homered and drove in his career-best 81st run as the Kansas City Royals continued their road hot streak with a 7-1 win over the Houston Astros on Monday.

The Royals improved to 4-1 and clinched the season series against the American West-leading Astros while winning for the seventh time in nine road games.

Lynch (4-3), who held the Astros to one run over seven innings in a 3-1 home win on Aug. 17, allowed one run on six hits and three walks with five strikeouts in five innings in his second straight start against Houston.

The left-hander proved especially effective against two of the Astros' most formidable left-handed hitters: right fielder Michael Brantley and designated hitter Yordan Alvarez. Brantley and Alvarez finished a combined 0-for-6 against Lynch, with Alvarez stranding a pair of runners in scoring position in the third inning and grounding out with the bases full to close the fifth.

With the Royals leading 2-0, Houston's Yuli Gurriel drove in Taylor Jones with a two-out double in the third. Gurriel went 2-for-2 with a walk against Lynch, who otherwise kept the Astros' lineup shackled. He threw 88 pitches, 53 of them for strikes.

The Royals built their early lead when Ryan O'Hearn and Emmanuel Rivera hit doubles in the second inning and Perez hit his 33rd home run with one out in the third.

Perez extended his career high for homers, and his 81st RBI pushed him past his total in the 2017 and 2018 seasons.

Rivera and Perez did their damage against Astros right-hander Zack Greinke (11-4), who allowed two runs on six hits and one walk over six innings. Greinke recorded just two strikeouts.

Rivera scored on a throwing error by reliever Yimi Garcia as the Royals scored two runs in the seventh inning, and he added an RBI single off Phil Maton in their three-run eighth. Whit Merrifield then drove in the other two runs with a triple.

Merrifield finished 3-for-5 with a double, a triple and three RBIs.

--Field Level Media