The Guardians entered Friday night 92-67, just behind the New York Yankees (93-66) for the No. 1 seed in the American League heading into the playoffs. Those two teams are already locked into the top two seeds, giving them a bye through the Wild Card Series and home field advantage in the ALDS, which will begin Oct. 5.

Ronel Blanco pitched five scoreless innings and combined with three relievers on a three-hitter, leading the Houston Astros to a 5-2 win over the Cleveland Guardians in a matchup of possible postseason foes.

In the second inning Friday, trainers for both the Houston Astros and Cleveland Guardians stood near first base at Progressive Field checking on players from their respective clubs, an unwelcome sight for two playoff-bound teams.