Jake Meyers drove in Alex Bregman with a grounder in the 10th inning to lift the Houston Astros to a 6-5 win against the visiting Kansas City Royals in the rubber game of their three-game series on Wednesday afternoon.

Joel Payamps (0-3) gave up a leadoff single to Kyle Tucker to start the 10th and put runners on the corners.

Martin Maldonado and Yordan Alvarez homered, and Bregman returned after being sidelined since June 16 with a left quadriceps strain and went 2 for 5 with an RBI and run scored for Houston.

Astros starter Lance McCullers Jr. allowed four runs and five hits in 6 2/3 innings, striking out seven and walking four. Kendall Graveman (5-0) pitched a scoreless 10th for the Astros.

Royals left-hander Mike Minor gave up three runs and six hits in six innings. He struck out three and walked one.

Whit Merrifield hit a grand slam in the seventh inning to give the Royals a 5-3 lead. Salvador Perez also homered for Kansas City.

McCullers took a 3-1 lead into the seventh inning and recorded the first two outs before the Royals loaded the bases on a single and back-to-back walks. Cristian Javier entered in relief and Merrifield smacked his first pitch over the fence in left for his second career grand slam, both in Houston.

The Astros cut the lead to 5-4 on an RBI single by Aledmys Diaz in the bottom of the seventh, and tied it 5-5 on an RBI single by pinch-hitter Michael Brantley with two outs in the eighth.

Maldonado blasted a solo home run to left field with one out in the third for a 1-0 lead.

Perez homered to lead off the fourth and tie the score 1-1.

Alvarez homered with one out in the bottom of the fourth to make it 2-1.

Bregman, hitting in the No. 6 spot, doubled off the wall in left with two outs in the sixth to drive in a run and extend the lead to 3-1.

Tucker also returned to the Astros starting lineup after missing 11 games while on the COVID-19 list. He came in as a defensive replacement on Tuesday.

--Field Level Media