After a 2-0 lead in the first 5 innings, Cleveland fell to the Houston Astros on Monday night with a final score of 7-3.
After a single by Josh Bell and Gabriel Arias, to start the second inning, Bo Naylor hit an RBI double to score the first run of the game. Myles Straw followed up with a sacrifice fly to center field, scoring Arias; giving the guardians a 2-0 lead.
Noah Syndergaard (1-4) pitched his first game with Cleveland and was able to keep the Astros scoreless in the first 5 innings, allowing only 2 hits and walked 2 batters. In the sixth, Syndergaard was hit in the leg by a ground ball and left the game with an injury.
Eli Morgan took over pitching duties in the sixth, but- after giving up 4 runs- was replaced by Nick Sandlin to end the inning. Michael Kelly stepped to the mound in the seventh and was replaced by Daniel Norris after walking 4 batters and giving up a run on a wild pitch. Norris would finish the game for the Guardians and gave up 2 runs, 2 walks, and a double in the eighth.
After 5 unproductive innings for the Astros, they scored 4 runs thanks to a RBI single by Kyle tucker and then a 3-run homer by Yordan Alverez in the sixth.
The team would score once more in the seventh, to a wild pitch, and then gain 2 more runs in the eighth with a RBI single and then a sacrifice fly.
Houston’s starter, J.P. France (7-3), took the win for the game and relief pitcher, Ryan Pressly (25) earned the save for the Astros.
The Guardians and Astros will play again tomorrow night, August 1, at Minute Maid Park in Houston for game 2 in their 3 game series.
