KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Yordano Ventura pitched Sunday the way the Kansas City Royals needed him to pitch, not like the pitcher who had a 5.19 earned run average and one victory since May 19.

Ventura outdueled Dallas Keuchel as the Royals whipped the Houston Astros 5-1 Sunday afternoon.

Ventura (5-7) threw 97 pitches in seven innings, giving up a run on six hits. He walked none, hit a batter and struck out five.

"It was the old Ventura," Royals manager Ned Yost said. "He was out on the attack. He stayed within himself, his mechanics. He did a great job of keeping his pitch count down. It was a great start, let him build off this. He was just fantastic."

Not only did the Royals get a solid start from Ventura, they picked up an ace, acquiring Johnny Cueto in a trade with the Cincinnati Reds for three minor league left-handed pitchers on Sunday.

Keuchel, who threw eight scoreless innings to beat the Royals 4-0 on June 30 in Houston, surrendered five runs on 10 hits in 6 2/3 innings.

The Royals went 4-3 the past seven games against Pittsburgh, St. Louis and Houston and own the best record in the American League at 59-38. They have a 7 1/2-game lead over the Minnesota Twins in the AL Central.

Keuchel, who was Yost's choice to be the American League starter in the All-Star Game, was roughed up for four runs in the first inning.

He gave up three hits on three successive pitches -- a bunt single by shortstop Alcides Escobar and singles by center fielder Lorenzo Cain and designated hitter Kendrys Morales -- to load the bases with none out.

"We had the bases loaded after five pitches," Yost said. "Then they made a couple of nice plays to cut runners down at the plate. But then Omar with a big base hit to score two and Cheslor, with a big double down the line to score two more, was great. That gave you that breathing room."

It appeared Keuchel would wiggle out of the mess when Escobar and Cain were thrown out at the plate on fielder's-choice grounders.

However, second baseman Omar Infante stroked a ground-ball single to left to bring home two runners. Third baseman Cheslor Cuthbert, who has hit safely in all five of his big league games, smashed a double down the left-field line to drive in two more runs.

The Astros got a run back in the second. Designated hitter Evan Gattis led off the inning with his sixth triple and scored on right fielder Colby Rasmus' single.

"We had a couple opportunities to chip away at them but their guy did a pretty good job of pitching with the lead and he had a lot of emotion," Astros manager A.J. Hinch said. "He's an emotional pitcher. With four or five runs he had a lot of room for error."

Cain belted his 11th home run in the second to push the Royals' advantage to 5-1.

"I don't think this was a negative day," Keuchel said. "I feel like I had some good stuff. I had a good slider, made some good pitches with the changeup, cutter was pretty good. It's just one of those days where guys hit good pitches and you get beat. I'm going to have more of those throughout my career and I'm going to be on the good side of some calls, so this is one I wouldn't take back. The only thing I would take back is those first-inning bad breaks."

Ventura was sent to the minors Tuesday and brought back Wednesday after a season-ending elbow injury to left-hander Jason Vargas.

"It was always a letdown when you go down, but to return right away, it feels good," Ventura said through an interpreter. "I feel I can help this team through the season and if we get to the postseason."

NOTES: Royals manager Ned Yost opted to give 1B Eric Hosmer and 3B Mike Moustakas a breather, holding them out of the starting lineup Sunday against Astros LHP Dallas Keuchel. Also, Salvador Perez was the DH with Drew Butera catching RHP Yordano Ventura for the first time. ... Marwin Gonzalez made his eighth Astros start at first base. He had never started at first base before this season. He started nine games at second, 12 at third and 25 at shortstop. ... After playing 17 of their past 22 games at home, the Royals play their next 10 on the road with RHP Edinson Volquez starting Monday at Cleveland. The Indians will start RHP Cody Anderson. ... The Astros are off Monday before opening a three-game series Tuesday against the Los Angeles Angels at Minute Maid Park with first place in the AL West up for grabs.