In a showdown between division winners that could potentially meet in the postseason, the Houston Astros defeated the Cleveland Guardians 5-2 on Friday night. Ronel Blanco pitched five scoreless innings and rookie Zach Dezenzo hit a homer to lead the Astros to victory. Blanco, who has a 0.75 ERA in September, was dominant on the mound. Spencer Arrighetti made his first career relief appearance, but struggled in the eighth inning and was ejected by the plate umpire. The Guardians scored two runs in the ninth off Josh Hader, but it wasn’t enough to overcome the Astros.
The Astros, who are locked into the No. 3 seed in the playoffs, got back-to-back homers from Victor Caratini and Dezenzo. Dezenzo, a native of Ohio, had a special moment hitting a home run in his hometown ballpark. The Guardians’ rookie starter Joey Cantillo struggled, allowing six hits in less than four innings.
Looking ahead, the Guardians are still chasing the New York Yankees for the top seed in the playoffs. The Astros, on the other hand, are gearing up for a wild-card series next week as they aim to advance in the postseason. Despite a slow start in April, the Astros have turned around their season and have one of the best records in the majors since then.
In terms of injuries, Astros’ LF Yordan Alvarez is making progress from a knee sprain, while Guardians’ RHP Alex Cobb is working his way back from a finger blister. The next matchup will feature Guardians RHP Ben Lively against Astros’ Justin Verlander, who has faced Cleveland numerous times in his career.
Source
Photo credit wtop.com
