With Houston Astros slugger Yordan Alvarez sidelined due to a right oblique injury, the team is looking for other players to step up. It hasn’t taken long for first baseman Jose Abreu to answer the call.
Abreu is heating up at the right time for the Astros, who face the host Cleveland Guardians in the rubber match of a three-game series on Sunday.
Abreu had just one home run this season before hitting a three-run shot in the Astros’ 14-inning, 10-9 loss in Friday’s series opener. He followed that up with a two-run blast and an RBI single in Saturday’s 6-4 victory.
The Astros are hoping Abreu has turned a corner after beginning the weekend hitting .213 with one homer and 23 RBIs.
“I really can’t tell you yet if I feel fully better at the plate now than before,” Abreu said. “(Friday), I felt a lot better. I’m going to go out there and try to battle every single game.”
Houston, which snapped a season-long four-game losing streak on Saturday, will send right-hander Brandon Bielak (3-2, 3.35 ERA) to the mound in the series finale. He won his second straight start last Monday, allowing three runs on 10 hits over 6 2/3 innings in an 11-4 victory over the Toronto Blue Jays.
Bielak, 27, has emerged as a reliable starter following injuries to Luis Garcia and Jose Urquidy. He has allowed three runs or fewer in six of his first seven games this season.
“This has kind of been my main goal since being with the Astros, cracking the rotation,” Bielak said. “I’m still kind of taking it and doing the best I can to just run with it.”
Right-hander Shane Bieber (4-3, 3.57) will get the nod for Cleveland. He allowed one run over 5 2/3 innings in a no-decision against the Boston Red Sox last Tuesday.
Bieber, 28, was not overly pleased with the outing despite improving on his previous start, when he gave up seven runs over four innings against the Baltimore Orioles.
“I guess I bounced back all right,” Bieber said. “Could have and should have been better and not as tight of a game going into the later innings, but it is what it is.”
Abreu is 13-for-45 (.289) with three homers against Bieber, who is 0-1 with a 3.46 ERA in two career starts versus Houston.
The Guardians had their three-game winning streak snapped on Saturday but received another strong effort from Josh Naylor. The first baseman extended his hitting streak to a career-high 10 games with two hits and three RBIs, giving him 29 RBIs in his last 23 games.
Houston ran wild on Saturday with six stolen bases against Cleveland catcher Mike Zunino, but Guardians manager Terry Francona said part of the blame lies with the pitchers.
“They were getting some pretty healthy jumps,” said Francona. “He was trying to rush and trying to be too quick.”
Sunday’s series finale has been moved up to 11:40 a.m. local time due to expected rain later in the day. The contest will mark the end of Houston’s stretch of 17 games in 17 consecutive days.
–Field Level Media