Cleveland Guardians

CLEVELAND – Following a successful series against the leaders of the American League East, the Cleveland Guardians will take aim at the other storied franchise in that division. After rain postponed their series opener on Friday, the Guardians and visiting Boston Red Sox will play a split doubleheader today.

Cleveland extended its winning streak to five games by winning the first two contests of its series against the New York Yankees before falling 5-1 on Wednesday.

“Obviously, we want to win every single day,” Guardians manager Stephen Vogt said.

Cleveland is 11-4 after losing six of its first nine games of the season. The Guardians have won seven of the last nine meetings against the Red Sox.

However, Boston’s scheduled Game 1 starter, right-hander Tanner Houck (0-2, 7.66 ERA), is 1-2 with a 2.37 ERA in nine career appearances (four starts) versus Cleveland.

Guardians star Jose Ramirez is 14-for-30 with five homers and 11 RBIs in his last seven home games against Boston. He is 2-for-13 against Houck, but one of those hits left the park.

After being roughed up for 12 runs (11 earned) and 10 hits over 2 1/3 innings at Tampa Bay on April 14, Houck yielded only a two-run homer in the first inning, two other hits with two walks and seven strikeouts over six frames of Boston’s 8-4 loss to the Chicago White Sox on Sunday.

“Slowly just working your way through it and showing up each and every day with a good attitude, chipping away at it, is kind of the recipe for success,” Houck said.

The veteran will try to help Boston get back on track from dropping the final two contests of a three-game home set versus Seattle. Alex Bregman homered with two RBIs and had half of the team’s four hits in Thursday’s 4-3 loss.

Bregman is 7-for-14 with five RBIs in the last four games. He is batting .320 this season.

“He’s in a good spot. A great start,” Red Sox manager Alex Cora said.

In the nightcap on Saturday, the Red Sox will turn to Walker Buehler (3-1, 4.23 ERA), who allowed nine runs and 14 hits — including three homers — over 9 1/3 innings while splitting his first two starts as a member of the Red Sox. But he’s 2-0 with a 1.96 ERA in three starts since that rough opening.

The right-hander gave up three walks for a second straight start Monday against the Chicago White Sox on Patriots’ Day, but he permitted only four hits and a run while striking out nine in a season-high seven innings of a 4-2 victory.

Buehler has never faced the Guardians, who will start Ben Lively (1-2, 3.86 ERA) in Game 1. The right-hander yielded four hits and a walk through 5 1/3 innings of last Saturday’s 3-0 victory at Pittsburgh.

“That was Ben at his best,” Vogt said.

Lively usually has been at his best versus Boston, going 1-1 with a 2.25 ERA in four career starts.

Boston star Rafael Devers is 0-for-15 over the last five games overall and 0-for-5 with two strikeouts versus Lively.

Touted prospect Doug Nikhazy is slated to make his major league debut while starting Game 2 for Cleveland. A second-round pick in 2021, the left-hander was 1-0 with a 3.44 ERA and fanned 22 in four 2025 starts for Triple-A Columbus.

 

CLEVELAND – (Staff and Wire Service Report0 – Following a successful series against the leaders of the American League East, the Cleveland Guardians take aim at the other storied franchise in that division.

Yet to lose a series at home, the Guardians open a three-game set Friday night against the visiting Boston Red Sox, who look to avoid their third straight defeat.

Despite losing 5-1 to the first-place New York Yankees on Wednesday, Cleveland took two of three in the home set, and sit 7-2 at home.

“Obviously, we want to win every single day,” Guardians manager Stephen Vogt said.

Cleveland had won five straight prior to Wednesday, and is 11-4 after losing six of its first nine contests. The Guardians have won seven of their last nine against the Red Sox.

However, scheduled Boston starter Tanner Houck (0-2, 7.66 ERA) has a 1.78 ERA while going 1-1 in four career starts versus Cleveland. The right-hander allowed two runs and eight hits over 15 innings of his two starts against the Guardians in 2024. Overall, Houck is 1-2 with a 2.37 ERA in nine appearances, four starts, against Cleveland.

Cleveland’s Steven Kwan, batting .364 in the last 13 games, is 2-for-7 with a pair of walks versus Hauck. Fellow Guardians star Jose Ramirez, 14-for-30 with five homers and 11 RBIs in his last seven home games versus Boston, is only 2-for-13 all-time against Houck, but one of those hits left the park.

Entering this contest, Houck looks to post back-to-back strong starts for the first time in 2025. After being roughed up for 12 runs — 11 earned — and 10 hits over 2 1/3 innings at Tampa Bay on April 14, Houck yielded only a first-inning, two-run homer to Matt Thaiss, two other hits with two walks and struck out seven over six innings of Boston’s 8-2 loss to the Chicago White Sox on Sunday.

“I’ve been scuffling, even in spring training, with delivery stuff and just getting back on track, (but) slowly just working your way through it and showing up each and every day with a good attitude, chipping away at it, is kind of the recipe for success,” Houck said.

The veteran will try to help Boston get back on track after it dropped the final two of a three-game home set versus Seattle after winning six of seven. Alex Bregman homered, drove in a pair and produced half of the Red Sox’s four hits in Thursday’s 4-3 loss to the Mariners.

Bregman is 7-for-14 with five RBIs in the last four games, and batting .320 on the season.

CLEVELAND – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – The errors keep piling up for the Boston Red Sox, who face the host Cleveland Guardians in the rubber match of a three-game series on Thursday. Boston matched its season high with three miscues in a 5-2 loss on Wednesday and leads the American League with 43 errors. The Red Sox committed all three errors in the fourth inning on Wednesday, leading to a pair of Cleveland runs.

“It’s frustrating because we’re working,” Red Sox manager Alex Cora said. “It’s not lack of effort, it’s not lack of work. It is who we are right now. At some point, you have to slow the game down … they’re trying; right now it’s just not happening for us.”

Boston has lost four of its last five games, while Cleveland has won six of its last 10. Guardians designated hitter Josh Bell has driven in a run in six straight games.

“It’s frustrating because we’re working,” Red Sox manager Alex Cora said. “It’s not lack of effort, it’s not lack of work. It is who we are right now. At some point, you have to slow the game down … they’re trying; right now it’s just not happening for us.”

Boston has lost four of its last five games, while Cleveland has won six of its last 10. Guardians designated hitter Josh Bell has driven in a run in six straight games.

Guardians first baseman Josh Naylor committed a costly error in Wednesday’s victory, but finished with three hits, including a run-scoring single. Naylor has 34 RBIs in his last 32 games.

“Josh was pretty locked in after that error,” Cleveland manager Terry Francona said after the win. “You could tell he wanted to get some payback. He had a pretty eventful night. There wasn’t much that went on out there that he wasn’t a part of.”

Cleveland will send right-hander Aaron Civale (1-1, 2.04 ERA) to the mound in the series finale. He returned from the injured list after missing 48 games with a strained left oblique and tossed five scoreless innings against the Minnesota Twins last Friday.

Civale, 27, was pleased with his performance after missing large gaps of time due to various injuries over the past two years.

CLEVELAND – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – Cleveland Guardians outfielder Will Brennan boasts an unremarkable track record, but the 25-year-old Colorado native may hold the key to the team’s search for offensive consistency.

Brennan will look to continue his hot streak when the Guardians open a three-game series against the visiting Boston Red Sox tonight. Cleveland has won two straight, while Boston is beginning a six-game road trip after losing the final three games of a four-game set against the Tampa Bay Rays.

After batting .204 in April and struggling for most of May, Brennan is 11-for-21 (.524) in his past six games. He made his major league debut last year, appearing in 11 late-season games.

“I’m just growing up every single game up here,” Brennan said. “You have to take a step back and look at what’s going on. It’s pretty awesome to see what you’re doing every day. You’re playing in the big leagues. Struggle comes along with that.”

Cleveland also received a much-needed boost last week from first baseman Josh Naylor and second baseman Andres Gimenez, who were a combined 20-for-50 (.400) as the Guardians went 4-3 on a road trip to Baltimore and Minnesota last week.

Cleveland’s biggest need is more production at the bottom of the order. Brennan could help address that issue with his continued development.

“This might sound dramatic,” Guardians outfielder Steven Kwan said, “but he might be one of our best players once he gets going. He has contact, power, he can run and has a great arm. If he gets going, I think we can be in a really good position.”

The Guardians are beginning a six-game homestand with the series against Boston, which is 30-30. The Red Sox have scored a total of five runs during their three-game skid.

“I don’t want to sound pessimistic or negative, but we have to do it,” Boston manager Alex Cora said. “We can talk all the talk. We can say that we’re better than this and all that. But at the end, we have to be better. We have to go out there and perform.”

The Red Sox will send left-hander James Paxton (1-1, 4.26 ERA) to the mound in the series opener. He allowed one run and struck out eight over five innings in a no-decision against the Cincinnati Reds on Wednesday.

Paxton pitched a total of 21 2/3 innings over the previous three seasons due to a number of injuries. He has allowed two or fewer runs in three of his first four outings this season, logging 27 strikeouts in 19 innings.

“I really didn’t know what to expect,” Paxton said. “Coming back through the minor leagues, I think I was topping out at 96, 97 (mph with the fastball). But it’s just not the same atmosphere as pitching in the big leagues. I’m just going out there and letting it rip and it’s feeling good coming out.”

Guardians third baseman Jose Ramirez is 2-for-14 against Paxton, who is 1-3 with a 5.47 ERA in five career starts against the Guardians.

Cleveland will counter with right-hander Shane Bieber (4-3, 3.72 ERA), who allowed seven runs over four innings against the Baltimore Orioles on Wednesday.

Bieber has gone 3-3 with a 5.50 ERA in six career games (five starts) vs. Boston. He yielded two runs over seven frames in a 5-2 road victory over the Red Sox on April 28.

Red Sox third baseman Rafael Devers is 3-for-13 (.231) against Bieber with two home runs.

–Field Level Media