Daniel Lynch IV LHP
2026 season (MLB rank among qualified starters)
ERA
3.52
108th
WHIP
1.10
53rd
K/9
6.15
214th
BB/9
2.76
69th
P-Score39i
FIP
–
HR/9
0.75
101st
OPS/R
–
IP
71.2
Last 5 starts
ERA
4.91
FinalFinal lineupsAL Central / AL West
Kansas City Royals 5, Houston Astros 2
Final Score and Game Recap
Final score, pitching lines and standings context.
8:10 PM ET · Daikin ParkGame-day snapshot Sep 18, 2:01 AM ETFinal lineups lockedCurrent 2026 season stats — updated Oct 29, 5:00 AM ET
Pitching recap
| Pitcher | Team | Role | IP | H | ER | BB | K | P |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daniel Lynch IV | KC | StarterWin | 5.0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 72 |
| Cristian Javier | HOU | StarterLoss | 5.1 | 5 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 85 |
Scoring by inning
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kansas City Royals | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 5 | 8 | 0 |
 Houston Astros | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 8 | 1 |
Top hitters
John Rave1-for-4 · 1 HR · 2 RBI
Michael Massey3-for-5 · 1 HR · 1 RBI
Yainer Diaz2-for-4 · 1 HR · 1 RBI
Carter Jensen1-for-4 · 1 RBI · 1 BB
Isaac Paredes0-for-3 · 1 RBI
Matchup at a glance
PitcherStat calculationPregame contextStarting pitchers
Cristian Javier RHP
2026 season (MLB rank among qualified starters)
ERA
5.50
170th
WHIP
1.46
177th
K/9
8.89
96th
BB/9
3.72
179th
P-Score37i
FIP
–
HR/9
1.46
155th
OPS/R
–
IP
55.2
Last 5 starts
ERA
3.86
Royals at Astros — Houston Gets No Free Pass From Lynch
Kansas City’s record is poor, but Daniel Lynch IV gives the Royals a credible chance to make Houston work for this one. The left-hander owns a 3.52 ERA, 3.87 FIP and 1.10 WHIP across 71.2 innings, while Cristian Javier has a 5.50 ERA through 10 starts for the Astros. Houston still has the stronger lineup, more power and the better bullpen, and it has won three of four meetings with Kansas City. The danger for the Royals comes if Lynch leaves a close game to the relief corps: Kansas City ranks 28th in bullpen ERA and last in WHIP. For a team leading the AL West by only one game, Houston will want to avoid giving this matchup unnecessary life.
How the lineups match the starters' pitch mix
Pitch data coverage: partial. Usage and velocity only.
Team OPS vs opposing starter's hand
Lineup strength vs today's starter
Weighted by batting-order spot. Season rates are regressed toward league average before they enter the model.
KC.718
−30 ptsOPS edge
HOU
.748
Slight edge: HOU
Lineups
Final lineupsOrder from the stored snapshot; treat as unofficial until the card is filed.Full lineup page
Team comparison
KC·HOUAVG.248 8th.242 18th
OPS.718 17th.732 7th
Home runs170 21st226 1st
Runs690 22nd734 13th
OBP.316 18th.315 19th
SLG.402 14th.417 4th
KC·HOU1stMLB rank30th
KCHOU
KCHOU
KCHOU
KCHOU
KC·HOU1stMLB rank30th
no league rank
no league rank
KCHOU
KC·HOU+31723rd
Run differential
+39311th
69–93 Record81–81
3–7 Last 104–6
Last 10 games
L
L
L
W
W
L
L
W
L
L
W
L
L
L
W
L
W
L
L
W
2026 head-to-head
Season Series
3—3
Frequently asked
Who is starting for the Royals?+
Daniel Lynch IV (3.52 ERA, 5–5) is listed as the starter.
Who is starting for the Astros?+
Cristian Javier (5.50 ERA, 2–5) is listed as the starter.
What time does the game start?+
8:10 PM ET at Daikin Park.
Where is the game being played?+
Daikin Park, home of the Houston Astros.
Are the lineups confirmed?+
Not as official league cards. The orders shown are the current projected or last-posted lineups.
How have the Royals and Astros performed head-to-head?+
Season series: Astros 3–3 this season.
How do the starters compare on P-Score?+
Daniel Lynch IV is at 39; Cristian Javier is at 37. P-Score is PitcherStat's 0–100 season index for qualified starters.