Raul Ibanez went 3-for-3 with three RBIs and Jermaine Dye homered as the Kansas City Royals beat the Houston Astros 12-7 Sunday.
Wade Miller, expected to be Houston's No. 3 starter, left in the third inning with tightness in his right biceps.
Miller hit the leadoff batter and walked the next hitter before giving up three hits and four runs in the first inning. He allowed five runs, five hits and walked two batters in three innings. He is day to day and is expected to make his next start Friday against Boston at Enron Field.
"I was a little fatigued," Miller said. "I felt fine, but when I started trying to put a little velocity on it I kind of tweaked it. So they took me out as a precautionary measure."
Royals starter Blake Stein allowed five runs and seven hits in 423 innings for Kansas City.
Keith Ginter went 4-for-5 with two RBIs for the Astros. He had two singles, a double and a home run.
Daryle Ward went 3-for-5 with two RBIs. Tony Eusebio and Moises Alou each had two hits.
Astros infielder Bill Spiers, who has been bothered by chronic back problems all spring, made his first start at third base. Spiers went 0-for-2.
Kansas City scored five runs in the fifth off Jose Cabrera, who was roughed up for a second straight outing in his bid for the final bullpen spot. His chief competition, left-hander Wayne Franklin, worked out of a jam and pitched a scoreless ninth inning.
Astros RHP Shane Reynolds, recovering from knee surgery, is scheduled to make his first exhibition appearance today with one inning of relief against Toronto.
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