ASTROS DEFEAT RAYS
Bregman and Peña homer as Astros beat Rays, 3-2
Aug 13, 2024, 9:19 pm
Astros defeat the Rays, 3-2. Composite Getty Image.
Alex Bregman and Jeremy Peña homered, and the AL West-leading Houston Astros won their seventh consecutive game by beating the Tampa Bay Rays 3-2 on Tuesday night.
Yusel Kikuchi (6-9) allowed one run and three hits over 5 2/3 innings to go 2-0 in three starts with the Astros since being acquired from Toronto on July 29.
Josh Hader got three outs for his 26th save in 27 chances for the Astros, who increased their division lead to 1 1/2 games over Seattle. The Mariners lost 15-1 at Detroit.
Tampa Bay loaded the bases on two singles and a walk with one out in the eighth against struggling reliever Ryan Pressly. Brandon Lowe made it 3-2 on a one-hop fielder's choice before Christopher More hit a grounder to end the inning. Pressly has allowed a run in four straight appearances.
Junior Caminero, the majors' No. 2 prospect, was recalled from Triple-A Durham by the Rays and had an infield hit and struck out three times. The 21-year-old got his right leg tangled with catcher Victor Caratini on a first-inning foul at the plate and favored it again after a swinging strike three.
Caminero, who appeared in seven games with Tampa Bay last season, made a couple strong defensive plays at third base.
Tampa Bay (59-60) dropped under .500 after losing for the sixth time in eight games.
You wish you were Alex Bregman.#Relentless pic.twitter.com/kQINhhNih7
— Houston Astros (@astros) August 14, 2024
Bregman set a career high with a homer in his fourth consecutive game, a solo shot in the fifth. Peña's solo drive off Shane Baz (0-2) put the Astros ahead 3-1. Bregman had three hits
JP3 ALL OVER IT.#RELENTLESS pic.twitter.com/0HaS4RnqLj
— Houston Astros (@astros) August 14, 2024
Baz gave up three runs and seven hits over a career-high seven innings in his seventh start since returning from Tommy John surgery. The right-hander hasn't recorded a win since July 3, 2022.
The Rays took a 1-0 lead in the second due to the hustling of José Caballero, who turned a two-out ground single into a double when he saw left fielder Chas McCormick not charging in on the ball. Caballero then scored on a single by Josh Lowe.
Houston tied it at 1 on Yainer Diaz's third-inning RBI single.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Astros: RHP Justin Verlander (neck) will throw 70 to 75 pitches in his second minor league rehab start on Thursday, and could be back next week.
UP NEXT
Astros RHP Ronel Blanco (9-6, 3.02 ERA) will face Rays RHP Zack Littell (5-8, 4.11 ERA) on Wednesday night.
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Astros show signs of life in blowout win over Brewers
May 7, 2025, 3:25 pm
Houston Astros slugger Yordan Alvarez has a strained muscle at the top of his right hand, a diagnosis that instills optimism he won’t have a prolonged stay on the injured list.
The three-time All-Star went on the 10-day injured list Monday, retroactive to Saturday, and returned to Houston for an MRI that revealed the muscle strain.
“We look at it as good news,” Astros manager Joe Espada said before their Wednesday afternoon game with the Milwaukee Brewers.
Espada expressed hope that Alvarez wouldn’t have to stay on the injured list longer than the required 10 days. He also said the hand issue may have played a role in Alvarez’s slow start.
Alvarez, 27, is hitting .210 with a .306 on-base percentage, three homers and 18 RBIs in 29 games this season. He batted .308 with a .392 on-base percentage, 35 homers and 86 RBIs in 147 games last year while ranking ninth in the AL Most Valuable Player balloting.
He has posted an OPS of at least .959 and has finished 13th or higher in the MVP voting each of the last three seasons.
“Once he heals, once he gets back, I think we’ll see a more aggressive at bat and be not as cautious,” Espada said. “I think it had something to do with it, yes.”
His potential return could go a long way toward boosting an Astros lineup that hasn’t been as productive as usual this season. The Astros entered Wednesday’s action ranked 21st in the majors in runs (136) and 23rd in OPS (.676). Houston has ranked 11th or better in both those categories each of the last four seasons.