Rays defeat the Astros, 1-0. Photo by Bob Levey/Getty Images.
Tyler Alexander combined with four other Rays pitchers on a three-hitter, Brandon Lowe hit an RBI double in the third inning, and Tampa Bay beat the Houston Astros 1-0 on Sunday.
Alexander (5-3) entered with two outs in the first inning after opener Hunter Bigge loaded the bases with two walks and a single. He fanned Jon Singleton on three pitches to escape that jam, then allowed two hits over the next four-plus innings to pick up his third straight win. He struck out five.
“We're throwing the ball really well right now,” Alexander said. “Starters are going deep, relievers are shutting it down. I like what I'm seeing with our arms and our bats, too. We're putting together good at-bats and scoring when we need to. It's fun to watch how we're playing baseball right now.”
The Rays, who were sellers at the trade deadline, have won seven of 10 and are five games out of an AL wild card spot. Houston and Tampa Bay are even in the standings at 57-54.
“Big win, there’s no doubt,” Rays manager Kevin Cash said. “They’re all big right now and that’s not going to end for a while.”
Across his last nine-plus innings, Alexander has given up one run on six hits, while walking one and striking out 12.
“Tyler set the tone for sure,” Cash said. “Our entire pitching group today did just a tremendous job. You shut that team down in this ballpark, that’s saying something.”
The Astros didn't get a hit after Yordan Alvarez singled off Alexander leading off the sixth, ending his day. Edwin Uceta came in and retired six straight batters, Manuel Rodriguez pitched the eighth and Pete Fairbanks closed it out for his 21st save in 23 opportunities.
“The back end of the bullpen did exactly what you'd expect,” Lowe said. “It's awesome to watch.”
Fairbanks has converted 11 straight save chances for Tampa Bay.
Spencer Arrighetti (4-10) struck out a career-high 12 batters in six innings, the most Ks by an Astros starter this season. As a team, the Astros have struck out at least 10 in 10 straight games, tied for the second-longest streak in major league history.
“Spencer was phenomenal. He couldn't do a better job,” Astros manager Joe Espada said. “Pounded the zone, he competed his (butt) off. That was a great performance."
Arrighetti allowed one run on five hits. Dylan Carlson led off the third with a double and came home on Lowe's one-out two-bagger.
Houston went 1 for 5 with runners in scoring position. The Astros have scored one run over the last 18 innings.
“I think we're going through a little funk,” Espada said. “I don't necessarily call it pressing. We'll start getting some big hits here pretty soon.”
TRAINER’S ROOM
Rays: 1B Yandy Diaz left the game after taking a line drive off his left hand in the sixth inning. Diaz grabbed his hand and was in considerable pain. X-rays were negative and he is considered day-to-day, Cash said.
Astros: RHP Justin Verlander (neck stiffness) threw a 37-pitch live batting practice session, topping out at 94 mph, on Sunday morning. Espada said the plan is for Verlander to start a rehab assignment next weekend.
UP NEXT
Rays: LHP Jeffrey Springs (0-0, 4.91 ERA) opens a three-game series at St. Louis on Tuesday, facing Cardinals RHP Sonny Gray (10-6, 3.72).
Astros: RHP Hunter Brown (9-7, 4.11) will open a three-game series on Monday at Texas against Rangers LHP Andrew Heaney (4-11, 4.12 ERA).
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The Houston Astros and Seattle Mariners return from the All-Star break with no time to ease in. Instead, the two top teams in the American League West jump straight into a three-game clash at T-Mobile Park that could shape the tone of the division race as the second half gets underway.
Houston enters the weekend at 56-40, holding a five-game edge over Seattle and holding off a division that refuses to go quietly. The Astros stumbled into the break with a 1-5 homestand, but their body of work across the first half, especially offensively, still makes them the standard in the West. Friday marks the eighth meeting between the clubs this year, with Houston currently holding a slight 4-3 edge in the season series.
The Astros hand the ball to lefty Brandon Walter (1-2, 3.98 ERA), a name that’s quietly become more relevant in a rotation still trying to stabilize. Walter has walked just two batters across his first 40 2/3 innings and carries a tidy 1.008 WHIP into Friday’s matchup. With the Astros still without Yordan Alvarez, Jeremy Peña, and Jake Meyers, they’ll need pitching to hold serve until reinforcements arrive, or deals are made.
The Mariners will counter with their ace, right-hander Luis Castillo (6-5, 3.41 ERA), who has been Seattle’s most consistent arm. Castillo has 93 strikeouts and has historically pitched well at home, where the Mariners are 25-21 this season. He’ll look to neutralize a Houston offense that, while banged up, is still dangerous, particularly when the ball leaves the yard. The Astros are 21-6 in games when they hit two or more home runs.
Jose Altuve has been on a tear, going 16-for-37 over his last 10 games with four homers and 14 RBIs. He’s part of an Astros lineup that ranks ninth in OPS and first in batting average on the year. Isaac Paredes continues to provide pop with a team-best 19 home runs, and the team as a whole is hitting .269 over its last 10 games. But pitching has wobbled a bit lately, posting a 4.60 ERA in that same span.
Seattle, meanwhile, comes in having won six of 10, outscoring opponents by 17 runs across that stretch. Cal Raleigh continues to be a force in the middle of the order with 38 home runs and 82 RBIs, while J.P. Crawford has quietly sparked the lineup with a .341 average and six RBIs in his last 10 contests. The Mariners are also getting healthier on the mound, and their rotation,once thin, is now a looming threat.
It’s only July, and the cliché says it’s just another series. But with the trade deadline two weeks away and the division gap sitting at five games, both teams understand what this weekend could mean. A Seattle sweep tightens the race dramatically. A Houston series win could widen the gap enough to change the calculus in the front office war rooms.
The stakes are high, the rosters aren’t at full strength, and the calendar is only getting shorter. That’s the recipe for a classic Astros-Mariners showdown.
BETMGM SPORTSBOOK LINE: Mariners -134, Astros +113; over/under is 7 1/2 runs
Here's an early look at the Astros lineup for Game 1!
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What stands out? Cam Smith is back in the two-spot with Christian Walker hitting cleanup. He's followed by DH Victor Caratini, Yainer Diaz (C), Taylor Trammell (CF), Mauricio Dubon (SS), and Brice Matthews at second base.
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