Rough Night: Guardians Fall to Astros in Series Opener Amid Pitching Struggles
The Cleveland Guardians opened their series against the Houston Astros with a tough 9–2 loss on Monday night, highlighted by a difficult outing from starter Slade Cecconi.
Losses are part of baseball, but this one stood out as particularly frustrating—especially for Cecconi. Hosting Houston on April 20, Cleveland couldn’t carry over momentum from a strong weekend series win over the Baltimore Orioles, where they had taken three of four games.
Cecconi pitched five innings but ran into trouble throughout, allowing 10 hits and seven runs (six earned), along with two walks. He struck out just two batters and struggled to consistently locate his pitches.
Manager Stephen Vogt noted some positives despite the rough performance, pointing out improved velocity. Cecconi opened the game throwing around 95 mph, but lacked sharpness with his secondary pitches. Vogt added that while the fourth inning proved costly, there were still encouraging signs compared to Cecconi’s previous start.
Even so, Cecconi’s early-season numbers remain concerning. Through five outings, he holds a 6.20 ERA and a 1.58 WHIP, with opponents hitting .273 against him. He has allowed 27 hits—including five home runs—and recorded just 20 strikeouts.
The bullpen didn’t offer much relief. Matt Festa pitched two innings, giving up a run on one hit while striking out one, and his ERA now sits at 6.35. Tim Herrin followed with a scoreless inning despite allowing a hit and a walk; although his WHIP has climbed to 1.80, he has yet to surrender a run this season. Connor Brogdon closed the game, giving up a solo home run before finishing the inning.
Offensively, Cleveland showed some life early but couldn’t sustain it. After falling behind 2–0 in the first inning, they responded with a run on a Rhys Hoskins single and later tied the game in the third on a hit by George Valera. However, that was as close as they would get.
The Guardians finished with eight hits total. José Ramírez added a double, Kyle Manzardo and Hoskins each had singles, and Brayan Rocchio led the team with three hits.
Vogt praised Manzardo’s recent progress, especially his ability to handle curveballs more effectively. He also highlighted Rocchio’s steady approach at the plate, noting his consistency and discipline as key positives in an otherwise disappointing game.
While it was a night the Guardians will likely want to move past quickly—particularly given ongoing pitching concerns—they’ll have a chance to bounce back in game two of the series on April 21, aiming to even things up and avoid further series losses.
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