HOUSTON - Tatsuya Imai struck out a Major League Baseball career-high 11 to earn his fourth win of the season as the Houston Astros defeated the Cleveland Guardians 9-3 for their third straight victory on Friday.
Imai (4-3), an MLB rookie who joined Houston from Japan's Seibu Lions this season, allowed three runs on six hits over six innings at Daikin Park.
"Although I allowed three runs in the third inning, I believed our offense would come back if I kept pitching patiently," Imai said after the Astros rallied to win. "I'll continue making adjustments and hope to deliver another solid performance next time."
In other MLB action, Seiya Suzuki drove in two runs in the Chicago Cubs' 16-2 rout of the Toronto Blue Jays.
Suzuki opened the scoring with a two-run double to right field in the first inning and went 3-for-5 at Wrigley Field.
Elsewhere, Roki Sasaki threw 5-2/3 innings of three-run ball but did not factor in the decision as the Los Angeles Dodgers came from behind to beat the Baltimore Orioles 6-5.
Sasaki allowed four hits and one walk while striking out six at Dodger Stadium. He left the mound after surrendering back-to-back home runs, a two-run homer and a solo shot, in the sixth inning.
Sasaki's teammate Shohei Ohtani was absent from the lineup with his wife due to give birth, but the two-way star is expected to be back "at some point this weekend," the Dodgers said.
