Astros beat Guardians 4-2 on June 7 as Colton Gordon gets his first win, but the victory is soured by Ronel Blanco's season-ending Tommy John surgery news.
StatPro MLB Beat Reporter
It was a day of stark contrasts for the Houston Astros. On one hand, a jubilant celebration for lefty Colton Gordon, who masterfully pitched his way to his first-ever MLB win. On the other, the somber news that the rotation has lost a key piece, as Ronel Blanco is set to undergo season-ending Tommy John surgery. While the Astros secured a 4-2 victory over the Guardians, the win felt like a crucial silver lining on an otherwise challenging day for the franchise.
During his 12-game hitting streak, Jeremy Peña is batting a scorching .449 (22 of 49) with three home runs and six RBIs.
The timing of Colton Gordon's emergence couldn't be more critical. The 2021 eighth-round pick was brilliant on Saturday, holding Cleveland to just one run on seven hits while striking out five to earn his first big-league victory. His poise and effectiveness are a godsend for a team that just received devastating news. The announcement that Ronel Blanco requires Tommy John surgery is a significant blow to the Astros' pitching depth. With Blanco out for the rest of 2025, Gordon's ability to step up and solidify a spot in the rotation has gone from a welcome development to an absolute necessity.
While the pitching situation took center stage, Jeremy Peña continued his torrid pace at the plate. The Astros shortstop collected three more hits to extend his hitting streak to a blistering 12 games. It's his second streak of 10+ games this season, and he's been the engine of the offense. The key rally in the three-run fifth inning started, unsurprisingly, with Peña. He was driven in by a Jose Altuve infield single before a Christian Walker two-run single broke the game open. Brendan Rodgers added some insurance with a solo homer in the sixth, and Josh Hader shut the door for his 17th save.
The game also featured a truly rare defensive highlight. In the very first inning, left fielder Mauricio Dubón single-handedly shut down two Cleveland threats, throwing out both Angel Martínez and José Ramírez at second base as they tried to stretch singles into doubles. He's only the second outfielder in the league to record two assists in one inning this season. However, it wasn't all perfect. The team's Achilles' heel reappeared, as the Astros went 0-for-2 with the bases loaded, dropping their season average in those clutch situations to a league-worst .146. It's a frustrating trend that the team needs to solve, even amidst their road trip success.
The Astros, now 3-1 on this road trip, will look to secure the series win tomorrow. All eyes will be on Hunter Brown as he takes the mound. With Blanco out, every start from aces like Brown, who is tied for the AL lead in wins, feels even more important. A win tomorrow would cap off a successful, if emotionally mixed, weekend in Cleveland.
