Sports
Astros look to bring out broom in series finale vs. Guardians
Sep 28, 2024; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Houston Astros third baseman Grae Kessinger (11) and first baseman Jon Singleton (28) celebrate after the Astros beat the Cleveland Guardians at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn Images Before the Cleveland Guardians and Houston Astros can completely focus on the postseason, they will square off one more time to close the regular season.
The visiting Astros will look to sweep a three-game series between division winners on Sunday afternoon.
The American League Central-champion Guardians (92-69) have a bye into the divisional round, which won’t start for them until Saturday. That will offer Cleveland players some welcomed extra rest and give the coaching staff a chance to line up its pitchers for the playoffs.
“They’ve earned every bit of this,” Guardians manager Stephen Vogt said. “For them to be able to get five days (off) next week leading up to it. … We couldn’t be more thankful for this opportunity.”
The Guardians, however, will try to gain some momentum entering the postseason by avoiding being swept at home for just the second time in 2024. Cleveland has totaled five runs in losing the first two games of this series.
However, star Jose Ramirez matched a career high with his 39th homer during Saturday’s 4-3 loss. With another home run Sunday, Ramirez would join Los Angeles Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani as the only players this season to record at least 40 homers and 40 stolen bases.
“It’s just been an unbelievable year to watch,” Vogt said of Ramirez, who has 41 steals, 39 doubles and 118 RBIs in 2024. “It will be fun to see what happens (Sunday).”
The Astros (88-73), meanwhile, won the AL West for a fourth consecutive season and will open postseason play at home Tuesday against either Detroit or Kansas City. Houston was 26-34 on June 2 but has gone 62-39 since to reclaim its place as one of baseball’s most consistently successful clubs for the last decade.
“I never lost hope,” first-year Astros manager Joe Espada said. “I knew we were going to find ourselves in a position to come and compete and win the West.”
Kyle Tucker and rookie Zach Dezenzo each had two hits Saturday for the Astros, who have won 11 of the last 16. Dezenzo, playing near his native Canton, Ohio, is 4-for-10 with two RBIs in this series.
Tucker is 14-for-30 in his last seven contests. With little to play for on Sunday, Tucker could get rested before Houston resumes play for the postseason.
The Astros will turn to promising right-hander Ryan Gusto on Sunday to make his major league debut in a starting role. Gusto, added to the Astros’ taxi squad this week, went 8-6 with a 3.70 ERA in 29 appearances (26 starts) while helping Triple-A Sugar Land win the Pacific Coast League title this season.
“I’m excited to be here,” Gusto said. “It’s a dream come true. I feel really good about my season.”
The Guardians will use right-hander Nick Sandlin (8-0, 3.75 ERA) as an opener on Sunday. They are expected to turn to regular starter Gavin Williams (3-10, 4.86) for the bulk of the work after that.
Sandlin is 0-1 with a 4.15 ERA in 10 career relief appearances against the Astros, while Williams is 0-1 with a 3.60 ERA in one career start vs. Houston.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Pirates use 3-run 10th to extend Brewers' losing streak
Apr 25, 2026; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Pittsburgh Pirates designated hitter Ryan O’Hearn (29) scores a run during the sixth inning against the Milwaukee Brewers at American Family Field. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images Bryan Reynolds singled in the go-ahead run to trigger a three-run 10th inning and lift the visiting Pittsburgh Pirates to a 6-3 victory over Milwaukee on Saturday, handing the Brewers their fourth consecutive loss.
Left-hander Angel Zerpa (0-2) started the 10th for Milwaukee. Pinch-hitter Marcell Ozuna drew a one-out walk. Nick Yorke ran for Ozuna and Reynolds singled to left, scoring automatic runner Henry Davis from second. Both runners advanced on a ground out. Grant Anderson relieved Zerpa, and Nick Gonzales delivered an RBI single to left, with Reynolds continuing home on a bobble by left fielder Greg Jones.
Yohan Ramirez kept the Brewers off the board in the 10th for his first save. Gregory Soto (2-0) delivered a scoreless ninth.
The Pirates snapped a 2-2 tie with a run in the sixth off starter Jacob Misiorowski. Ryan O’Hearn was hit by a pitch and Gonzales singled. Both runners advanced on a wild pitch and Spencer Horwitz followed with a sacrifice fly to make it 3-2.
The Brewers tied it in the bottom half on Sal Frelick’s second sacrifice fly of the game. Jake Bauers and Tyler Black opened with consecutive singles, chasing starter Mitch Keller. Isaac Mattson replaced him, and Bauers advanced to third on a fielder’s choice. Frelick followed with a sacrifice fly to right.
The Pirates went in front 2-0 with two runs in the fourth. Reynolds was hit by a pitch to open the frame and O’Hearn singled. Reynolds took third on a fielder’s choice, and Horwitz followed with an RBI single. Konnor Griffin added a two-out RBI single, but the Pirates stranded runners at second and third.
Milwaukee countered with two in the bottom half. Bauers singled and continued to second on an error. Black doubled Bauers to third. Bauers scored and Black advanced to third on a ground out. Frelick tied it with a sacrifice fly to right.
Misiorowski struck out nine in six innings, allowing three runs on six hits. He also walked one, hit two batters, and had a wild pitch.
Keller allowed three runs on five hits in five-plus innings, striking out six and walking two.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Salvador Perez, Cole Ragans help Royals club Angels
Apr 25, 2026; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Kansas City Royals shortstop Bobby Witt Jr. (7) slides into home to score a run during the fourth inning against the Los Angeles Angels at Kauffman Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images Salvador Perez had three hits including a home run, Cole Ragans pitched six strong innings and the Kansas City Royals routed the visiting Los Angeles Angels 12-1 on Saturday night.
Nick Loftin had two hits and drove in four runs for the Royals, who go for their first series sweep of the season on Sunday. Kansas City has won three of four, scoring at least six runs in each game.
Ragans (1-4) allowed a run on five hits and struck out 11 batters without a walk. It was the third time this season Ragans went six innings and allowed one run or less.
Jo Adell homered and Vaughn Grissom had three hits for the Angels, who have lost six of seven.
Walbert Urena (0-3) lasted 3 2/3 innings, allowing four runs on six hits. Los Angeles pitchers issued 10 walks, including two with the bases loaded.
Perez lined a homer to left leading off the second inning. Jac Caglianone walked, went to third on a single by Michael Massey and scored on a single by Loftin to make it 2-0.
In the third, Bobby Witt, Jr. doubled and Vinnie Pasquantino walked. Perez lined a single to left, scoring Witt and Isaac Collins walked to load the bases before Loftin walked, forcing in Pasquantino.
Adell homered to center leading off the fourth to pull the Angels within 4-1.
Loftin reached on an error leading off the sixth. Kyle Isbel singled and Carter Jensen walked to load the bases. With one out, Pasquantino walked, scoring Loftin.
The Royals broke it open with a three run seventh. Caglianone led off with a walk and Collins singled. Massey lined a single to left, scoring Caglianone. Loftin smacked a grounder that got past shortstop Zach Neto. Collins scored and Massey raced for third and came home on Neto’s throwing error to make it 8-1.
Loftin and Jensen hit two-run singles to make it 12-1 in the eighth.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Yankees score late to break open close game against Astros
Apr 25, 2026; Houston, Texas, USA; New York Yankees shortstop Jose Caballero (72) celebrates with center fielder Trent Grisham (12) after hitting a home run during the fifth inning against the Houston Astros at Daikin Park. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images Austin Wells socked a leadoff home run to ignite a three-run seventh inning as the New York Yankees claimed a three-game series against the host Houston Astros with an 8-3 win on Saturday.
Wells’ second homer was the third of the game for the Yankees, who improved to 5-0 on their current nine-game road trip and have won eight straight overall. The Yankees were locked in a pitcher’s duel before Wells snapped a 2-2 tie by driving an inside fastball from Astros reliever Kai-Wei Teng (1-1) out to right field.
Teng faced only three batters before ceding the mound to left-hander Bennett Sousa, who was reinstated from the 15-day injured list and made his season debut. The Yankees made it a forgettable appearance for Sousa, who issued four walks, including two with the bases loaded.
Sousa walked Trent Grisham, Aaron Judge, Cody Bellinger and Jazz Chisholm Jr., with Bellinger and Chisholm forcing home Grisham and Ben Rice (who had singled) in succession to up the lead to 5-2.
Rice delivered a sacrifice fly with the bases loaded in the eighth that plated Ryan McMahon. Rice and Jose Caballero recorded three-hit games for the Yankees, with Caballero extending the lead to 2-1 in the fifth with his third homer, a solo shot to left off Astros starter Mike Burrows.
Burrows matched his career high of eight strikeouts while working five innings. He allowed five hits and issued three walks. Burrows surrendered a solo home run to Grisham, his fourth on the season, with one out in the third inning that enabled the Yankees to erase a 1-0 deficit.
The Astros grabbed that lead in the bottom of the first. Carlos Correa roped a leadoff double to left-center and scored when Isaac Paredes added an RBI single to left two batters later. Yankees starter Ryan Weathers immediately settled down and retired 11 consecutive batters after Paredes’ run-scoring hit.
Yainer Diaz opened the fifth with a single, but Weathers didn’t allow another run until Correa led off the sixth with his second homer, a 391-foot blast to left-center that tied the game at 2-2.
Weathers surrendered two runs on six hits with no walks and four strikeouts over 5 1/3 innings. Right-hander Fernando Cruz (2-0) earned the win in relief for the Yankees.
–Field Level Media
Pirates use 3-run 10th to extend Brewers' losing streak
Salvador Perez, Cole Ragans help Royals club Angels
