Critical factors to watch as Astros seek to extend win streak in finale versus Rays
BLANCO ON THE HILL
14 August
Ronel Blanco takes the bump for Houston. Photo by Lachlan Cunningham/Getty Images.
Houston Astros (64-55, first in the AL West) vs. Tampa Bay Rays (59-60, fourth in the AL East)
St. Petersburg, Florida; Wednesday, 6:50 p.m. EDT
PITCHING PROBABLES: Astros: Ronel Blanco (9-6, 3.02 ERA, 1.05 WHIP, 126 strikeouts); Rays: Zack Littell (5-8, 4.11 ERA, 1.35 WHIP, 113 strikeouts)
BETMGM SPORTSBOOK: LINE Astros -122, Rays +102; over/under is 8 runs
BOTTOM LINE: The Houston Astros are looking to keep a seven-game win streak intact when they play the Tampa Bay Rays.
Tampa Bay has a 31-33 record at home and a 59-60 record overall. The Rays have gone 35-7 in games when they scored at least five runs.
Houston is 64-55 overall and 32-29 in road games. Astros hitters have a collective .321 on-base percentage, the fourth-ranked percentage in the AL.
The teams meet Wednesday for the sixth time this season. The Astros lead the season series 3-2.
TOP PERFORMERS: Christopher Morel has seven doubles, a triple, 20 home runs and 53 RBI while hitting .190 for the Rays. Josh Lowe is 9-for-28 with three doubles and two home runs over the last 10 games.
Jose Altuve has 21 doubles and 15 home runs for the Astros. Alex Bregman is 16-for-45 with four doubles and five home runs over the last 10 games.
LAST 10 GAMES: Rays: 4-6, .219 batting average, 3.58 ERA, outscored by six runs
Astros: 7-3, .264 batting average, 2.79 ERA, outscored opponents by 16 runs
INJURIES: Rays: Richard Palacios: 10-Day IL (knee), Ryan Pepiot: 15-Day IL (knee), Jacob Waguespack: 60-Day IL (shoulder), Shane McClanahan: 60-Day IL (forearm)
Astros: Kyle Tucker: 60-Day IL (shin), Justin Verlander: 15-Day IL (neck), Cristian Javier: 60-Day IL (forearm), Jose Urquidy: 60-Day IL (forearm), Oliver Ortega: 60-Day IL (elbow), Bennett Sousa: 60-Day IL (shoulder), Penn Murfee: 60-Day IL (elbow), Luis Garcia: 60-Day IL (elbow), Lance McCullers Jr.: 60-Day IL (elbow), Kendall Graveman: 60-Day IL (elbow)
Dylan Cease pitched brilliantly into the ninth inning and Manny Machado, Fernando Tatis Jr. and Donovan Solano hit consecutive homers in the eighth for the San Diego Padres, who beat the AL West-leading Houston Astros 4-0 on Wednesday.
Machado homered twice for the Padres, who won two of three against the Astros and stayed two games ahead of Arizona for the first NL wild card. The Astros came in with a five-game division lead over Seattle.
Cease (14-11), who threw his first career no-hitter on July 25 at Washington, took a one-hitter into the ninth before Mauricio Dubón beat out an infield single to shortstop. Cease struck out Jake Meyers but then shortstop Xander Bogaerts booted Jose Altuve's grounder for an error that allowed Dubón to take third, and that was it for the right-hander after 103 pitches.
Cease retired the first 15 Astros batters before allowing a single to right field by Jason Heyward to open the sixth. Cease then retired the side.
Cease struck out five and walked none. Tanner Scott got two outs for his 21st save.
Machado, who has 29 homers, lined a shot to left-center off Framber Valdez opening the sixth.
Tatis, who struck out in his first three at-bats, hit reliever Kaleb Ort's first pitch into the first row in left-center leading off the eighth. It was his 19th. Machado followed with a shot deep into the seats in left and Solano hit a liner to left, his seventh. That was it for Ort, who threw just nine pitches.
Valdez (14-7) went seven innings, allowing one run and five hits while striking out six and walking two.
TRAINER'S ROOM
Padres: 1B/DH Luis Arraez got the day off to rest his sore left knee, which he jammed into home plate while being thrown out on Monday night. Arraez started at DH on Tuesday night.
UP NEXT
Astros: LHP Yusei Kikuchi (9-9, 4.29 ERA) is scheduled to start Thursday night in the opener of a four-game home series against the Los Angeles Angels, who will go with LHP José Suarez (1-2, 6.80).
Padres: Hadn't announced their starter for Friday night's home series opener against the Chicago White Sox.
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