Carlos Correa puts the Astros ahead 3-2 after five innings - MLB

Carlos Correa is taking control.

After reaching on a hit-by-pitch and being stranded in the first, the 21-year-old phenom came to bat in the bottom of the third and muscled a 96 m.p.h. inside fastball 410 feet over the fence to tie the game at two. It’s a ball no one should’ve been able to turn on let alone hit for power, but Correa isn’t just anyone.

Just now, in the bottom of the fifth, George Springer drew a two-out walk to bring up Correa. Correa lined a double to right field scoring Springer. And I gotta tell ya, Springer was flying. The Fox cameras had him rounding third, cut to the fielders putting together a relay, and then, as I prepared for the expected cut back to the plate, I expected to see Springer sliding. Nah. He was already safe, having scored standing. He may as well have been back in the dugout drinking a coffee and having a smoke for as fast as he as going. 3-2 Royals.

Just now, in the top of the sixth, Lance McCullers set the Royals down 1-2-3. I’m not an acolyte of the Church of Momentum, but it sure as hell feels like the Astros just took control and that the Royals just broke. Either way, the Astros are nine outs from advancing to the ALCS.

PITTSBURGH — The New York Mets will have to dig out of an early-season hole without star first baseman Pete Alonso.

The leading home run hitter in the majors will miss three-to-four weeks with a bone bruise and a sprain in his left wrist.

The Mets placed Alonso on the 10-day injured list Friday, retroactive to June 8. Alonso was hit in the wrist by a 96 mph fastball from Charlie Morton in the first inning of a 7-5 loss to Atlanta on Wednesday.

Alonso traveled to New York for testing on Thursday. X-rays revealed no broken bones, but the Mets will be missing one of the premier power hitters in the game as they try to work their way back into contention in the NL East.

“We got better news than it could have been,” New York manager Buck Showalter said. “So we take that as a positive. It could have been worse.”

New York had lost six straight heading into a three-game series at Pittsburgh that began Friday. Mark Canha started at first for the Mets in the opener. Mark Vientos could also be an option, though Showalter said the coaching staff may have to use its “imagination” in thinking of ways to get by without Alonso.

“I’m not going to say someone has to step up and all that stuff,” Showalter said. “You’ve just got to be who you are.”

Even with Alonso in the lineup, the Mets have struggled to score consistently. New York is 16th in the majors in runs scored.

The team also said Friday that reliever Edwin Uceta had surgery to repair a torn meniscus in his left knee. Uceta initially went on the IL in April with what the team called a sprained left ankle. He is expected to be out for at least an additional eight weeks.

New York recalled infielder Luis Guillorme and left-handed reliever Zach Muckenhirn from Triple-A Syracuse. The Mets sent catcher Tomás Nido to Triple-A and designated reliever Stephen Nogosek for assignment.

Nogosek is 0-1 with a 5.63 ERA in 13 games this season.