KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Kendrys Morales homered twice, but nearly had three.

Morales had two solo shots and rookie Cheslor Cuthbert blasted a two-run shot as the Kansas City Royals topped the Houston Astros 6-1 to avoid being swept in the three-game series.

Morales began the five-run seventh with a shot into the Astros' right-field bullpen to break a 1-1 tie. It was Morales' 15th career multi-home run game. He homered in the fourth for the first Kansas City run.

In the second inning, Astros center fielder Carlos Gomez backed up to the warning track to catch Morales' deep fly.

"I hit it good, but it stayed up in the air quite a bit," Morales said with catching coach Pedro Grifol acting as his interpreter.

Said Royals manager Ned Yost, "Quite frankly, he could have had three home runs. He blasted that first ball, but the wind was blowing straight in at that time and you could see it just get caught in the wind it was so high and then kind of start to die. I thought that one was gone too."

The switch-hitting Morales entered the game with a .190 batting average against right-hander, but both home runs were swinging left-handed.

"I'm starting to see the results of just being a little more selective at the plate and the work I've put in," Morales said.

Alcides Escobar singled before Cuthbert's home run, his seventh, on an 0-1 Doug Fister pitch.

"We knew he had that kind of power," Yost said. "It's not 30 home run power, but its 15 to 20. He's still a young guy, still figuring this league out, but what a job he's done offensively for us. I've been very impressed with his at-bats. When we lost Moose (Mike Moustakas to season-ending knee surgery), I knew Ches could handle the position, third base adequately enough and cover Moose there, but the offense has been exciting to see."

Left-hander Tony Sipp was summoned to get the final out of the seventh, but instead allowed a single to Alex Gordon, a double to Lorenzo Cain, which was his third hit, and a two-run double to Eric Hosmer, failing to retire any of three batters he faced.

"Obviously, with Cain, it's not a perfect matchup with him," Astros manager A.J. Hinch said of Sipp. "But, we're down so I'm going to leave him in. That's putting him in harm's way, the way Cain swings the bat against left-handed pitching. A couple of elevated pitches are finding the outfield. We'll get him straightened out and get him in the right matchups."

The beleaguered Royals' rotation got a needed quality start from Ian Kennedy, who restricted the Astros to three hits and one run, an Evan Gattis home run. Kennedy struck out a season-high 11, the 11th time in his career he has reached double figures.

"Big-time start," Yost said of Kennedy's performance.

The Royals stranded two runners in the first and third innings.

With two out in the first, Cain singled and motored to third on Hosmer's single to right. Salvador Perez popped up to shortstop Carlos Correa to end the inning.

Whit Merrifield and Cain singled in the third, but Hosmer grounded out to Marwin Gonzalez to strand the runners.

The Royals broke out on top on Morales' solo blast in the fourth. Morales sent a 1-1 Fister offering out to right.

The Astros tied it in the sixth when Gattis lined Kennedy's first pitch into the left-field seats for his 12th home run.

"Early, (Fister was) just establishing all his pitches, especially just pitching in and you know having a tall guy throwing bullet-ball sinkers is pretty tough to hit," Gattis said. "I just know what it feels like facing him with the Nationals. He just pitched in, pitched aggressive."

NOTES: Astros 2B Jose Altuve was the designated hitter for only the second time this season. After A.J. Reed was the DH in his big-league debut Saturday, he played first base Sunday, while Marwin Gonzalez, who had been playing mostly first base recently, started at second. ... For the first time this season, Eric Hosmer did not start at first base for the Royals. He was the DH, while Kendrys Morales played first base. ... The Royals open a four-game series Monday against the St. Louis Cardinals with the first two games at Kansas City. Cardinals RHP Adam Wainwright and Royals LHP Danny Duffy are the probables for the opener. ... The Astros continue this road trip with a three-game series at Los Angeles. Astros RHP Collin McHugh and Angels RHP Matt Shoemaker are the Monday probables.