ASTROS DEFEAT RAYS
Dubón comes through in the clutch, Astros beat Rays 2-1 in extras
Aug 14, 2024, 9:45 pm
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.
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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.