Isaac Paredes hit his first two home runs of the season to help the Houston Astros run away with a 9-2 win over the host Cleveland Guardians on Monday evening.
Paredes’ first homer opened a four-run fourth inning which broke a 2-2 deadlock. He then tacked on an insurance run on another solo shot in the ninth.
Christian Walker opened the scoring with his fifth homer, a two-run shot in the first inning. Walker, Parades and Carlos Correa each finished with three hits and two RBIs for the Astros, who had lost four straight and 12 of 14. Walker also scored three runs.
Brayan Rocchio was 3-for-3 with a double and Jose Ramirez recorded both RBIs for the Guardians, who had won three of four.
Houston was all over Cleveland right-hander Slade Cecconi (0-3) from the onset of the game starting with Walker’s 391-foot homer on a first-pitch fastball. Cecconi lasted five innings but surrendered seven runs (six earned) on 10 hits, walking two and striking out two.
Cleveland got a run back in the home first on Rhys Hoskins’ RBI single, scoring Ramirez after he started a two-out rally with a walk.
The Guardians then tied the game in the third when Ramirez delivered a leadoff double and came around to score on George Valera’s two-out single.
But otherwise, the Astros’ pitching staff navigated traffic to silence the Guardians’ bats. Right-hander Spencer Arrighetti (2-0) worked five innings, allowing two runs on five hits, walking four and striking out three.
Cleveland had a baserunner in every inning, but was 2-for-12 with runners on base and stranded 12 runners.
Paredes’ homer sparked the big fourth inning for Houston which saw five of the first six batters of the inning notch hits. Brice Matthews extended the lead to 4-2 with an RBI double, and Correa doubled the lead with a two-run single.
Houston added a run in the fifth on Yainer Diaz’s sacrifice fly and another in the seventh on a Cam Smith sac fly.
