The torrid Houston Astros completed a three-game road sweep of the reigning World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers with a 5-1 win on Sunday, closing a stretch against the three division leaders in the National League — the Philadelphia Phillies, Chicago Cubs and Dodgers — with an 8-1 mark.
Houston will host the Cleveland Guardians for a three-game series starting Monday as part of a six-game homestand that caps the first half of the season. Despite several injuries to frontline performers, the Astros improved to 24-8 since June 1 and have won 11 of their last 13 games.
“It doesn’t matter who it is,” Astros manager Joe Espada said. “This team, they believe in one another and what it takes to win. It takes a lot of people to win games.
“Everyone is contributing, and as a team, that’s what you do.”
Rookie left-hander Colton Gordon (3-1, 4.37 ERA) is scheduled to make his 10th career start for the Astros in the series opener against Cleveland on Monday. While unbeaten over his last five starts, Gordon allowed a season-high-tying four runs on a season-high nine hits and two walks with three strikeouts over 4 2/3 innings on Tuesday. He did not factor into the decision of a 6-5 win over the Colorado Rockies. That outing followed a strong showing last month when Gordon finished 3-0 with a 2.14 ERA across four starts. He posted 18 strikeouts against two walks in 21 innings.
Gordon earned his first career victory when he allowed one run on seven hits with five strikeouts over five innings in a 4-2 road win in his only appearance vs. the Guardians on June 6.
Right-hander Tanner Bibee (4-9, 4.20) has the starting assignment for the Guardians. He suffered his fifth consecutive losing decision on Wednesday against the Cubs after allowing five runs on six hits and four walks with five strikeouts over four innings in a 5-4 defeat. Since twirling seven shutout innings in a 7-0 victory over the Detroit Tigers on May 22, Bibee is 0-5 with a 5.09 ERA across seven starts. The Guardians have dropped six of those seven games.
Bibee has not recorded a decision while posting a 3.18 ERA across two career starts against the Astros. In his most recent appearance against Houston, he allowed two runs on five hits with six strikeouts over 6 1/3 innings in the Guardians’ 4-2 home victory on June 8.
The Guardians’ 7-2 loss in 10 innings to the Tigers on Sunday extended their skid to 10 consecutive games. It marks the longest losing streak for Cleveland since an 11-game slide from July 27 through Aug. 7, 2012.
One bit of positive news for the Guardians on Sunday came when outfielder Steven Kwan earned his second All-Star Game nod. Kwan is slashing .298/.358/.419 with 28 RBIs and is the first Cleveland outfielder with consecutive All-Star selections since Michael Brantley (2017-18).
“It’s a huge accomplishment, especially getting voted in by the peers,” Kwan said. “Probably one of the greater accomplishments of my career, so I’m really honored.
“You play this game every day against the guys doing the same thing, I think you form a level of respect with those guys. To get their respect and their vote, it just emboldens me to keep playing the game the way that I do and hopefully keep the consistency going.”
–Field Level Media
