CLEVELAND ( Associated Press) – Cal Quantrill bowled six scoreless innings and Amade Rosario scored a two-run single to help the Cleveland Guardians win a 4-1 victory over the AL West chiefs, the Houston Astros, on Saturday night.
All-Star Jose Ramirez added two hits and an RBI, and Andres Jiménez and Miles Strau got two hits each. The Guardians pulled with a combined six-hitter to within 1 1/2 games of Minnesota’s first place in the AL Central.
Quantrill (8-5) scored four runs as he walked alone, taking his winning streak to four and remaining undefeated at the progressive field. The right-hander is 11-0 in the ballpark in 36 career games, including 26 starts for Cleveland.
Houston took only one runner from second base in the first eight innings against Quantrill, Trevor Stephen and James Karinchak. Aldemis Díaz’s second double of the game went into the ninth against Emmanuel Cleuse in Alex Bregman.
The Astros have the second-best record in the AL — one game behind the Yankees — and are set for a franchise-best 70-39 start. Houston owns the top road record in the AL at 36-22 and leads the West by 11 1/2 games.
Cleveland took a 4–0 lead with three runs off a ball from Luis García (8–8), highlighted by Rosario’s liner on the center run into Straw and Jiménez. Ramirez doubled home Rosario for the first time for his 87th RBI.
The right-hander worked in six innings, conceding four runs and nine hits to lose his third consecutive start.
Bench coach Joe Espada continued to fill in for Astros manager Dusty Baker, who tested positive for COVID-19 ahead of Friday night’s game. No other member of his travel crew has been affected by the virus.
Jake Meyers and Diaz each had two hits, and Bregman and Christian Vazquez had one each for Houston, winning the first two games of the series by a combined 15-3 score.
The Guardians broke a seven-game home streak losing to the Astros, beating them in Cleveland for the first time since July 31, 2019.
Farewell, franamily
Guardian DH Franmil Reyes, who started the season as their cleanup hitter, was named for the assignment and dropped from the 40-man roster.
The 27-year-old was selected after batting in Triple-A Columbus. With nine homers in 213 and 104 strikeouts in 263 at-bats. He could score 1 for 11 in three matches with the Clippers.
The second opening day starter for Cleveland, 1B Bobby Bradley, was released in a concurrent move from Columbus.
instructor room
Astros: Kyle Tucker (ill) was ruled out for his third straight game after falling ill on Thursday when he arrived at the ballpark. Tucker was in the original lineup before he was scratched two hours before the first pitch.
The Guardians: OF Steven Kwan (left leg injury) did not play in the first innings on Friday after fouling a ball with his foot. The rookie kicked out of the game in fourth, ending the longest active hitting streak in the majors in 18 games.
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Astros: RHP Christian Xavier (6-7, 3.24 ERA) is on a five-start winless streak, posting a 0-4 record with 5.11 ERA after beating the Los Angeles Angels on July 1.
The Guardian: RHP Tristan McKenzie (7-8, 3.38 ERA) has lost his last two starts, allowing four earned runs against both Boston on July 28 and Arizona on August 2.
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