Guardians End Skid with Late Rally to Topple Astros
HOUSTON — The Cleveland Guardians snapped a 10-game losing streak Monday night with a decisive 7-5 victory over the Houston Astros, powered by clutch hitting and a resilient bullpen. Key contributions from José Ramírez, David Fry, and rookie Brayan Rocchio propelled the Guardians to their first win since June 25.
Cleveland broke open a tense 4-4 tie in the sixth inning when Rocchio drilled a two-out, two-run double off reliever Steven Okert, scoring José Ramírez and Bo Naylor. Houston’s Victor Caratini narrowed the gap to 6-5 with a solo homer in the bottom of the frame, but Fry sealed the win with a ninth-inning solo blast for insurance. Closer Emmanuel Clase then slammed the door with a flawless ninth, securing his MLB-leading 19th save.
The Guardians’ early 4-0 lead, fueled by Ramírez’s two-run homer in the fifth and a Steven Kwan RBI single, briefly faltered when Houston’s Taylor Trammell launched a three-run shot—his first hit of the season—and Isaac Paredes added a game-tying solo homer off Guardians starter Tanner Bibee (4.2 IP, 4 ER) in the fifth.
Notably, Astros left-hander Colton Gordon (5.2 IP, 5 ER) stayed in the game after being struck in the head by Kwan’s line drive in the fifth, which scored a run. He threw warmup pitches before continuing.
Key Stat: Despite stranding eight runners and going 3-for-11 with runners in scoring position, Cleveland leveraged timely power to snap its skid.
Up Next: The series continues Tuesday as Astros ace Hunter Brown (9-3, 1.82 ERA) faces Guardians left-hander Joey Cantillo (1-0, 3.41 ERA).
AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/MLB
Edited for clarity, brevity, and AP style.
