Houston Astros at Cleveland Guardians

Major League home run leader Yordan Alvarez hit a two-run shot in the first inning during a 3-for-4 day to raise his average to .347, lifting the Astros to a 2-0 victory over the Guardians at Progressive Field in their series finale on Wednesday afternoon. Alvarez’s homer was his 11th of the season, tying Lance Berkman for the most in franchise history through 26 games and extending his hitting streak to eight games. The three-time All-Star is batting .385 with five homers and 16 RBIs during the stretch. "To be honest, 2026 Yordan is the closest I've seen to Barry Bonds,” Houston shortstop Carlos Correa said. “Definitely, this version of him is the best. I haven't missed one swing of his all year because he's must-watch. “It’s almost like you expect him to make an out at some point because this game is so hard, but he just keeps raking.” Astros manager Joe Espada and closer Enyel De Los Santos expressed similar sentiments about the 28-year-old designated hitter, whose magical first month of the season has him atop the Majors in eight offensive categories. De Los Santos believes he has the best view in the ballpark, watching Alvarez every game from the bullpen. “It feels awesome being on the same team with him,” De Los Santos said through interpreter Otto Loor. “If it was up to us, I wish he could hit one, two, three home runs a day. He’s a really good hitter, so you have to be very careful pitching to him.” Alvarez now leads the league in RBIs (26), hits (33), extra-base hits (19), total bases (74), on-base percentage (.466), slugging percentage (.779) and OPS (1.245). His batting average ranks second to the .366 of Dodgers center fielder Andy Pages. When told of Correa’s comparison to Bonds, Alvarez’s eyes lit up, and he smiled. “Yeah, it’s nice to hear their comments, but it puts a little bit of pressure on myself,” he said through Loor. “I do appreciate everything they say. I’m just trying to find my spot and turning on a pitch, and I’m doing a good job right now.”