Houston, TX — The Cleveland Guardians completed a dominant three-game sweep of the Houston Astros with a 4-2 victory on Wednesday night. The win, powered by a pair of home runs from José Ramírez and Angel Martínez, marks the Guardians’ first three-game win streak since May, snapping a 10-game losing skid.
For the first time since a four-game winning streak in late May, Cleveland secured three straight wins, fueled by timely hitting and a strong pitching performance from Slade Cecconi.
Cecconi’s Career Night on the Mound
Cecconi (4-4) delivered one of his best performances of the season, allowing just five hits and two runs while striking out a career-high nine batters over 7+ innings. After conceding a run in the eighth, Paul Sewald came on to close out the game, pitching a scoreless ninth to earn his second save of the season.
Martínez and Ramírez Power Guardians Early
The game started with a bang as Angel Martínez homered for the second straight game, blasting a solo shot to the Crawford Boxes in left field with one out in the first inning. Just four pitches later, José Ramírez followed suit, smashing another home run off Brandon Walter (1-2), putting the Guardians up 2-0.
While Walter settled down after the early explosion, retiring the next 17 batters and striking out seven, Cleveland’s offense wasn’t done yet.
Guardians Extend the Lead in the Sixth
In the top of the sixth inning, the Guardians pushed their lead to 4-0. With no outs, Ramírez and Carlos Santana hit consecutive singles before David Fry walked to load the bases. Johnathan Rodríguez then singled to bring home two runs, extending the Cleveland lead to 4-0.
Astros Make Late Push, But Fall Short
The Astros managed to scrape together a couple of runs in the bottom of the eighth. Taylor Trammell led off with a walk and later scored on a double by Mauricio Dubón, cutting the lead to 4-1. After two outs, José Altuve brought in another run with a double of his own, narrowing the deficit to 4-2. However, the Guardians’ bullpen shut down any further threat, securing the win.
Key Stat:
Despite missing out on next week’s All-Star Game to rehab a lingering Achilles injury, José Ramírez has continued to dominate in July, tallying four home runs and seven RBIs already this month.
Up Next:
The Guardians will look to carry their momentum into a four-game series against the Chicago White Sox starting Thursday night. Left-handed pitcher Logan Allen (5-7, 4.07 ERA) is set to take the mound for Cleveland in the series opener.
Meanwhile, the Houston Astros, who lead the AL West, have an off day on Thursday before beginning a weekend series against the Texas Rangers. Despite sweeping the Los Angeles Dodgers last weekend, Houston struggled in this series, finishing 1-for-8 with runners in scoring position.
Final Thoughts
The Guardians’ sweep of the Astros is a statement win, especially after their recent struggles. With a strong pitching performance from Cecconi and timely home runs from Ramírez and Martínez, Cleveland showed resilience and gave their fans something to cheer for after a rough stretch. The Astros, on the other hand, will need to regroup before their upcoming series against their division rivals.
