Alvarez hits AL-leading 25th homer, Astros beat Guardians 2-1

By: The Associated Press Posted: 3:40 PM CDT Sunday, Jun. 21, 2026

HOUSTON (AP) — Yordan Alvarez hit his American League-leading 25th home run, Kai-Wei Teng threw six solid innings and the Houston Astros beat the Cleveland Guardians 2-1 on Sunday.

Read this article for free:

or

Already have an account? Log in here »

To continue reading, please subscribe:

*First annual payment billed as $205.00 + GST for one year. This annual subscription will automatically renew at $233.00 + GST every 52 weeks (10% off the regular annual price of $259.35). Offer available to new and qualified returning subscribers only. Cancel any time.

HOUSTON (AP) — Yordan Alvarez hit his American League-leading 25th home run, Kai-Wei Teng threw six solid innings and the Houston Astros beat the Cleveland Guardians 2-1 on Sunday.

Read unlimited articles for free today:

or

Already have an account? Log in here »

HOUSTON (AP) — Yordan Alvarez hit his American League-leading 25th home run, Kai-Wei Teng threw six solid innings and the Houston Astros beat the Cleveland Guardians 2-1 on Sunday.

Alvarez hit a solo shot to right-center off Slade Cecconi in the first inning. It was his first home run since he hit two at Kansas City on June 12, snapping a streak of seven games without a homer.

Isaac Paredes, who had three hits, had an RBI single in the fourth, but the Guardians cut the lead to 2-1 in the fifth on an groundout by Travis Bazzana that drove in Petey Halpin, who had tripled.

Houston Astros' Yordan Alvarez runs home to score on a hit by Isaac Paredes during the fourth inning of a baseball game against the Cleveland Guardians, Sunday, June 21, 2026, in Houston. (AP Photo/Kevin M. Cox)

Teng (4-6) yielded one run and four hits with four strikeouts to snap a three-start losing streak. Teng had allowed at least three runs in each of his previous four starts.

Steven Okert pitched a scoreless seventh, Bryan King threw a perfect eighth and Josh Hader pitched the ninth for his fifth save.

The Astros have won four of their last five games and are 17-11 since dropping to a season-worst 11 games under .500 (20-31) on May 20.

Cecconi (3-6) surrendered two runs and six hits in six innings. Cecconi has allowed three runs or fewer in nine straight outings since the Athletics tagged him for five runs on May 2, but he is 2-2 over that span. The 26-year-old right-hander hasn’t earned a win since an 8-2 victory over the Tigers on May 18.

The Guardians have lost four of their last six games.