CLEVELAND — The Guardians commenced their final series of the season Friday night against the Houston Astros—if the rain permits.
As of 5:00 p.m. ET, a light drizzle graced Cleveland, prompting the deployment of the tarp on the field. The status of tonight’s game remains uncertain.
Entering the evening with a record of 92-67, the Guardians trail just behind the New York Yankees (93-66) for the coveted No. 1 seed in the American League as the playoffs approach. Both teams have secured their positions among the top two seeds, granting them a bye through the Wild Card Series and home field advantage in the ALDS, which is set to commence on October 5.
Offensive momentum from the Guardians took until the ninth inning to manifest. With two runners on and no outs, David Fry delivered a double down the left-field line, scoring Josh Naylor and putting Cleveland on the scoreboard at 5-1 against Josh Hader.
Jhonkensy Noel followed, striking out for the first out of the inning. Jose Altuve then showcased his defensive prowess with a remarkable play on a grounder from Angel Martinez that brought another run home, although it marked the second out. Brayan Rocchio concluded the inning with a deep flyout to center field, finalizing the score at 5-2.
Bryan Abreu then struck out Kyle Manzardo looking and José Ramírez swinging, stifling any potential threat as the Astros vs Guardians maintained their 5-0 lead.
In a curious turn, Astros pitcher Spencer Arrichetti exited the game twice. After loading the bases with one out in the eighth inning, the Astros opted to replace him. While departing the mound, he exchanged heated words with the umpires, resulting in his ejection—despite his already determined path to the dugout.
With one out and the bases loaded, Kyle Manzardo was up to bat, with José Ramírez waiting on deck as Bryan Abreu entered the game for Houston.
In pursuit of his 39th home run, Ramírez came tantalizingly close, needing just two more home runs to join the elite club of players boasting a 40-homer, 40-steals season. On Friday night, he nearly achieved this twice, with two hits soaring to the warning track. His second at-bat featured a line drive to center that was snagged with an impressive sliding catch, while his third at-bat saw him launch a ball that just fell short of clearing the right-field wall.
The Guardians finally notched their first hit of the night—a single up the middle from Will Brennan—ending Ronel Blanco’s no-hit bid in the fifth inning.
The rain continues to pour, and commendations are due to the fans who brave the elements.
In a notable surge, Victor Caratini and Zach Dezenzo each launched back-to-back home runs off Eli Morgan, pushing the Astros’ lead to 5-0 as the rain intensified.
Dezenzo, a proud graduate of Marlington High School, added to the evening’s excitement.
Astros starter Ronel Blanco showcased near-perfection through four innings, allowing just one walk to José Ramírez while surrendering no hits. As the rain persists, the Guardians remain in search of their first hit, trailing 3-0.
Jose Altuve ignited the game with a leadoff double, later scoring from third base on a sacrifice fly from Alex Bregman, establishing the Astros’ 1-0 lead against Guardians starter Joey Cantillo.
