The Houston Astros broke open a tight game with a six-run sixth inning, powered by Jose Altuve's decisive three-run homer, to defeat the Cleveland Guardians 9-3 on Friday. Tatsuya Imai delivered a career-high 11 strikeouts, bouncing back from a rough outing one week ago in Kansas City where he failed to survive the first inning.
Altuve entered the game mired in a 0-12 slump, with visible frustrations boiling over before his blast. The second baseman's shot was the centerpiece of a rally that turned a competitive game into a rout. Imai's dominance on the mound set the tone, as he repeatedly froze Guardians batters with sharp breaking stuff.
The win pushes the Astros further ahead in the AL West, tightening their grip on the division lead. Cleveland's loss has more modest implications in the AL Central, as they remain in contention but drop a game back in the wild-card picture.
Houston looks to continue its momentum in the second game of the series on Saturday. Cleveland will need to solve Imai's repertoire in future matchups if they hope to keep pace in the playoff race.
Altuve, when asked about ending his slump, said he stayed focused on the process. "Sometimes you just need one pitch to turn it around," he noted after the game.