Houston got an outstanding bullpen performance in a 5-3, 10-inning win over the host Cleveland Guardians on Saturday, and the Astros will likely need another strong outing from their relievers if they want to complete a three-game sweep on Sunday.
Sunday’s scheduled starter is left-hander Brandon Walter, who was on the taxi squad but expected to be added to Houston’s active roster. His only major league action this season was a spot start against the Tampa Bay Rays on May 20, in which he tossed five scoreless innings with three hits, one walk and five strikeouts in a no-decision.
Walter is 3-1 with a 2.08 ERA over 47 2/3 innings in 11 games (seven starts) this season for Triple-A Sugar Land of the Pacific Coast League.
Houston relievers Steven Okert, Shawn Dubin, Josh Hader and Bennett Sousa combined to allow two runs on two hits and three walks with six strikeouts in 4 2/3 innings. Hader (2-0) got the win and Sousa earned his first save of the season and the second of his career in the Astros’ 10th win in 13 games.
“That was a great win,” said starter Hunter Brown, who threw 101 pitches and gave up one run over 4 1/3 innings. “The bullpen did a great job, and quite frankly, you’re just happy any time you come out with a win. That was great for us.”
The win came despite Houston squandering a 3-0 lead.
Guardians star Jose Ramirez hit a two-run homer off Dubin to tie the game at 3 in the seventh. Dubin recovered to retire five batters in a row. Manager Joe Espada called Dubin into his office to tell the pitcher how impressed the manager was with him.
“I told him, ‘Listen, things could have gone sideways if you would have just let that home run affect the rest of your performance,’ but he went and got the next two (hitters) and went back out and gave us a chance to win the game,” Espada said. “That’s when you see young pitchers turn the corner, when you don’t let one moment just ruin the rest of your outing. You turn the page and go get the next guy.”
Right-hander Tanner Bibee (4-6, 3.89) is the Guardians’ scheduled starter Sunday. In his lone career start against Houston, on Aug. 2, 2023, he gave up two runs and seven hits in five innings with four walks and four strikeouts in a no-decision.
Cleveland has lost eight of its last 12 as it will try to salvage the series finale.
Despite the team’s recent struggles, Steven Kwan is feeling good. After a night off on Friday, the left fielder was 3-for-4 with a walk and scored on Ramirez’s home run.
“The (right) wrist has been barking a little bit,” said Kwan. “The legs get a little heavy. We’re in that stretch of the year where there have been a lot of games. It’s definitely really nice to get one of those scheduled days off.”
Ramirez, who was 2-for-3 with two walks and two runs, stretched his career-high on-base streak to 33 games. Ramirez is hitting .395 with 18 extra-base hits and 17 RBIs during the streak.
–Field Level Media
