Guardians vs Astros Preview: Heroic Arms Take Center Stage

The Guardians just crushed Houston 8-1 on Friday night, and you need to know who carried that load. Sonny Gray's crew was dominant, but Mitch Bazzana was the absolute star. He smashed two home runs—one shot 406 feet to right-center—and drove in three runs. His bat kept Houston's pitchers scrambling the whole game. Now Cleveland sits 40-36 and rides into Sunday looking to sweep this series. But the Astros just beat them 9-3 yesterday, so Houston's hungry for more.

Wait—Houston bounced back hard on Saturday with a 9-3 win. The Astros' lineup exploded in the middle innings. José Altuve went yard, Martin Peña crushed two homers, and suddenly the Astros were rolling. This team is streaking right now with three straight wins. They're 36-41 but playing their best baseball at home. Kai-Wei Teng takes the mound Sunday for Houston, and he'll face Slade Cecconi from Cleveland. Both rotations have been keeping their teams in games all season.

Here's the tough news for Cleveland. José Ramirez, their star third baseman, just had surgery and won't return until late July at the earliest. Chase DeLauter's out with a rib fracture. Angel Martinez bruised his foot. The Guardians are missing key hitters when they need them most. Slade Cecconi gets the ball Sunday and must pitch lights-out. Cleveland's pitching depth has always been their weapon. If Cecconi and the bullpen can shut down Houston's bats, Cleveland stays alive in this series.