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Peña, Altuve lead Astros past Guardians 9-3

Jeremy Peña hit two home runs and drove in three runs as the Houston Astros defeated the Cleveland Guardians 9-3 on Saturday at Daikin Park.

Brooks Avery

June 20, 20262 min read

MLBFinal
Cleveland Guardians3
Houston Astros9

June 20, 2026

Peña and Altuve Power Houston Offense

Jeremy Peña delivered a dominant offensive performance, hitting two home runs and driving in three runs to help the Houston Astros secure a 9-3 victory over the Cleveland Guardians on Saturday at Daikin Park. Peña’s contributions included a solo shot in the fourth inning and a two-run blast in the eighth, providing critical momentum for the home team.

Jose Altuve also played a pivotal role, launching a three-run home run in the sixth inning that shifted the game’s trajectory. Altuve added another run later in the seventh with a double that scored Yordan Alvarez. The combined efforts of Peña and Altuve accounted for four of Houston’s nine total runs, showcasing the star power that defined the Astros’ offensive output.

Guardians Strike Early, Then Stall

Cleveland began the scoring in the first inning when Matt Walker crossed the plate on a throwing error by right fielder Kyle Watson, who fielded a single by Xavier Paredes. The Guardians tied the game in the third inning when Bo Rocchio doubled to right field, scoring Andrés Bazzana. Rocchio advanced to third base before Hoskins launched a two-run home run to left field, giving Cleveland a 3-1 lead.

However, the Astros quickly responded. Peña answered with a solo home run to left field in the same inning, cutting the deficit to 3-2. The momentum continued to shift as Altuve’s sixth-inning homer put Houston ahead for good. Despite scoring in the eighth inning when Austin Smith doubled home a run on a ground-rule double by Nick Martinez, the Guardians could not recover from the late-inning surge by Houston.

Pitching Performances Define the Game

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 secured the save with two scoreless innings of work, striking out three batters and allowing no hits. Mike Burrows closed out the game with one perfect inning, recording one strikeout.

For Cleveland, Tanner Bibee took the loss after pitching 5.1 innings, giving up three earned runs on four hits and striking out seven. Matt Festa, Daniel Espino, Erik Sabrowski, and Shawn Armstrong also pitched for the Guardians, with Espino and Sabrowski allowing two earned runs each in their respective appearances.

Final Score and Records

The final score of 9-3 improved the Houston Astros’ record to 36-41, while the Cleveland Guardians fell to 40-36. The game was attended by 33,279 fans at Daikin Park in Houston, Texas.

Sources

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

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Brooks Avery

Brooks Avery covers Sherman sports, from high school teams to Austin College athletics.

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