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Peña, Altuve Lead Astros Past Guardians 9-3

Jeremy Peña hit two home runs and drove in two more runs, while Jose Altuve added a three-run blast as the Houston Astros defeated the Cleveland Guardians 9-3 on Saturday.

Tessa Esparza

June 20, 20262 min read

MLBFinal
Cleveland Guardians3
Houston Astros9

June 20, 2026

Turning Point

The Houston Astros seized control of their Saturday matchup against the Cleveland Guardians with a decisive offensive surge in the sixth inning. Jose Altuve launched a three-run home run to left field, measuring 349 feet, which shifted the momentum entirely in Houston’s favor. The blast, which also scored Yordan Alvarez and Alex Bregman, extended the Astros' lead and effectively sealed the contest as the Guardians’ pitching staff struggled to recover from the deficit.

Offensive Output

Jeremy Peña was instrumental in the Astros' victory, contributing significantly with the bat. Peña homered to left field in the fourth inning, a 351-foot shot that was upheld after a challenge, bringing the score to 3-2. He added another home run in the seventh inning, a 347-foot shot to left field, and later in the same frame, singled to right field to drive in Jake Meyers. Peña’s two home runs and two RBIs were crucial in building the final 9-3 margin.

The Guardians initially took a 1-0 lead in the first inning when Jesus Aguilar singled to right field, allowing Andrés Giménez to score on a throwing error by right fielder Kyle Tucker. Cleveland tied the game in the third inning on a double by Bo Naylor, which scored Steven Kwan. However, the Astros quickly responded. In the same inning, Altuve hit a home run to left field, and Peña’s earlier homer had already put Houston ahead.

Houston continued to add runs throughout the game. Alvarez and Bregman were key contributors, with Alvarez scoring on Altuve’s sixth-inning homer and later driving in a run on Altuve’s seventh-inning double. Meyers hit a ground-rule double in the eighth inning, scoring Andrew Velazquez, and was later driven in by Peña’s single.

Pitching Performances

Tatsuya Imai earned the win for Houston, pitching six innings and allowing three earned runs on six hits while striking out 11 batters. Steven Okert recorded the save, pitching two scoreless innings with three strikeouts. Mike Burrows closed out the game with one scoreless inning, striking out one batter.

For Cleveland, Tanner Bibee took the loss, pitching 5.1 innings and allowing three earned runs on four hits with two walks and seven strikeouts. Matt Festa, Daniel Espino, Erik Sabrowski, and Shawn Armstrong relieved Bibee, combining to allow the remaining runs. The Guardians’ pitching staff was unable to contain Houston’s power hitting, particularly in the middle innings.

Final Results

The Houston Astros improved their record to 36-41 with the victory, while the Cleveland Guardians fell to 40-36. The game was played at Daikin Park in Houston, Texas, with an attendance of 33,279. The Astros' ability to capitalize on scoring opportunities, particularly through home runs and timely hitting, proved too much for the Guardians to overcome.

Sources

https://www.espn.com/mlb/game/_/gameId/401815817

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Tessa Esparza

Tessa Esparza covers Little Elm high school and area college sports.

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