ASTROS DEFEAT RAYS

Dubón comes through in the clutch, Astros beat Rays 2-1 in extras

Astros Jose Altuve, Mauricio Dubon, Jake Meyers
Astros defeat the Rays 2-1. Composite Getty Image.

Mauricio Dubón drove in the go-ahead run with a 10th-inning single, closer Josh Hader worked two scoreless innings and the AL West-leading Houston Astros won their season-high eighth straight game by beating the Tampa Bay Rays 2-1 on Wednesday night.

Pedro León advanced from second to third on Jeremy Peña's fly to deep center off Garrett Cleavinger (7-3) starting the 10th. Zach Dezenzo struck out, Jake Meyers and Dubón got Houston's second hit of the game. The Rays also had two hits.

“We got the sweep,” Dubón said. “It was a battle, though. But it felt pretty good.”

Hader (5-6) struck out three as Houston ended an 8-1 trip. The Astros (65-55) extended their division lead to 2 1/2 games over Seattle, which lost 3-2 in 10 innings at Detroit.

“A heck of a road trip,” Houston manager Joe Espada said. “We took care of business.”

Tampa Bay has lost seven of nine and dropped to 59-61.

“We got to find a way, we’re not scoring runs,” Rays manager Kevin Cash said. “Score runs two ways. Either getting a lot of hits or getting timely hits. None of that is coming for us right now.”

Tampa Bay has scored two or fewer runs in nine of its last 13 games.

Houston was hitless until Peña homered for the second straight game, leading off the fifth against Zack Littell.

Littell departed after five innings and 68 pitches due to season workload. The right-hander, who retired his first 11 batters, struck three and walked two.

Astros starter Ronel Blanco scattered two hits and struck out four in six scoreless innings. He is winless in six starts.

Blanco's last batter, Brandon Lowe, hit an 106.5 mph liner that the right-hander deflected with his glove and resulted in a sore left index finger.

“He came in sore, lost some feel to it,” Espada said. “He did get some X-rays; came out negative. He's good to go.”

Bryan Abreu walked Taylor Walls, who is hitting .171, starting the eighth. Walls was running on the pitch, preventing a double play on Jose Siri's grounder. Walls stole third and scored with a head-first slide on Yandy Díaz's grounder.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Astros: RHP Justin Verlander (neck) will make his second and likely final minor league rehab start Thursday night with Double-A Corpus Christi. … OF Kyle Tucker (bruised right shin) hit in a cage and played catch. “Slow progress, but he’s tending in the right direction,” manager Joe Espada said. … RHP Luis García (Tommy John surgery) has not resumed throwing after having a setback.

UP NEXT

Astros: RHP Spencer Arrighetti (5-10, 5.14 ERA) and Chicago White Sox LHP Garrett Crochet (6-9, 3.65 ERA) are Friday night’s scheduled starters.

Rays: Ryan Pepiot (6-5, 3.92 ERA) will make his first start since July 14 on Friday night against Arizona. The right-hander has been out with a right knee infection that is thought to have resulted from a spider bite. “A little bump in the road,” Pepiot said. “Very unorthodox thing happened, but kind of scary at the same time. Just happy to be back.” RHP Ryne Nelson (8-6, 4.51 ERA) starts for the Diamindbacks.

Most Popular

SportsMap Emails
Are Awesome

Listen Live

ESPN Houston 97.5 FM
CJ Stroud is not throwing yet at OTAs. Composite Getty Image.

As the Houston Texans gear up for the 2025 season, all eyes are on OTAs, where key storylines and position battles are already taking shape. One of the most intriguing developments is unfolding along the offensive line. Coaches are clearly keeping their options open, and the answers may not be as obvious as they seem.

Meanwhile, fans are taking notice of Cam Robinson holding down the left tackle spot, while Tytus Howard has been moved inside to right guard — a significant shift that raises questions about long-term strategy and player fit. The reshuffling up front is just one part of a larger evaluation process underway.

Further down the roster, the wide receiver room is heating up with fierce competition for the final spots. Several fringe players are turning heads, looking to carve out a role behind the established starters. These battles could stretch well into training camp.

On the other side of the ball, expectations are high for the defense entering Year 3 under head coach DeMeco Ryans. After a strong showing last season, the unit is now being challenged to take the next leap. At the heart of that effort is Will Anderson Jr., who looks poised for a breakout year. His growth could be a game-changer for the Texans' pass rush.

From offensive line shakeups to rising defensive expectations, there’s no shortage of drama or development in Houston. With the 2025 season approaching, these OTAs are offering a crucial glimpse into what this team might become.

Be sure to watch the video below as ESPN Houston's Jeremy Branham and Joel Blank share their thoughts on the early developments at OTAs.

*ChatGPT assisted.

___________________________

Looking to get the word out about your business, products, or services? Consider advertising on SportsMap! It's a great way to get in front of Houston sports fans. Click the link below for more information!

https://houston.sportsmap.com/advertise

SportsMap Emails
Are Awesome