SERIES PREVIEW
Astros meet Rays for season's first battle, Kikuchi to debut for Houston
Aug 2, 2024, 2:02 pm
The Astros host the Rays Friday night at Minute Maid. Composite Getty Image.
Tampa Bay Rays (55-53, fourth in the AL East) vs. Houston Astros (56-52, first in the AL West)
Houston; Friday, 8:10 p.m. EDT
PITCHING PROBABLES: Rays: Shane Baz (0-1, 3.66 ERA, 1.42 WHIP, 19 strikeouts); Astros: Yusei Kikuchi (4-9, 4.75 ERA, 1.34 WHIP, 130 strikeouts)
BETMGM SPORTSBOOK: LINE Astros -161, Rays +137; over/under is 8 runs
BOTTOM LINE: The Houston Astros host the Tampa Bay Rays on Friday to begin a three-game series.
Astros lineup for the opener below.
New Series.
⚾ : 7:10 pm
🏟️ : Closed
📺 : @SpaceCityHN | SCHN 2
🎙️ : @SportsTalk790 | Spanish: 93.3 FM#Relentless x @reliantenergy pic.twitter.com/Vh0TjYBV7S
— Houston Astros (@astros) August 2, 2024
Houston has a 31-24 record at home and a 56-52 record overall. The Astros have the 10th-best team on-base percentage in the majors at .320.
Tampa Bay has a 25-24 record in road games and a 55-53 record overall. The Rays have an 18-10 record in games decided by one run.
Friday’s game is the first time these teams square off this season.
TOP PERFORMERS: Yordan Alvarez has 25 doubles, two triples and 20 home runs for the Astros. Yainer Diaz is 15-for-39 with three doubles, a triple, two home runs and seven RBI over the past 10 games.
Yandy Diaz has a .271 batting average to lead the Rays, and has 21 doubles, a triple and nine home runs. Brandon Lowe is 11-for-34 with two home runs and seven RBI over the past 10 games.
LAST 10 GAMES: Astros: 4-6, .260 batting average, 4.55 ERA, outscored by eight runs
Rays: 6-4, .216 batting average, 3.03 ERA, outscored opponents by 12 runs
INJURIES: 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)
Rays: Richard Palacios: day-to-day (knee), Ryan Pepiot: 15-Day IL (knee), Richard Lovelady: 15-Day IL (forearm), Jacob Waguespack: 60-Day IL (shoulder), Drew Rasmussen: 60-Day IL (elbow), Shane McClanahan: 60-Day IL (forearm)
Most Popular
SportsMap Emails
Are Awesome
Listen Live
Oswald Peraza hit a two-run single in the ninth inning to help the Los Angeles Angels snap a three-game losing skid by beating the Houston Astros 4-1 on Saturday night.
Peraza entered the game as a defensive replacement in the seventh inning and hit a bases-loaded fly ball to deep right field that eluded the outstretched glove of Cam Smith. It was the fourth straight hit off Astros closer Bryan Abreu (3-4), who had not allowed a run in his previous 12 appearances.
The Angels third run of the ninth inning scored when Mike Trout walked with the bases loaded.
Kyle Hendricks allowed one run while scattering seven hits over six innings. He held the Astros to 1 for 8 with runners in scoring position, the one hit coming on Jesús Sánchez’s third-inning infield single that scored Jeremy Peña.
Reid Detmers worked around a leadoff walk to keep the Astros scoreless in the seventh, and José Fermin (3-2) retired the side in order in the eighth before Kenley Jansen worked a scoreless ninth to earn his 24th save.
Houston’s Spencer Arrighetti struck out a season-high eight batters over 6 1/3 innings. The only hit he allowed was Zach Neto’s third-inning solo home run.
Yordan Alvarez had two hits for the Astros, who remained three games ahead of Seattle for first place in the AL West.
Key moment
Peraza’s two-run single to deep right field that broke a 1-1 tie in the ninth.
Key Stat
Opponents were 5 for 44 against Abreu in August before he allowed four straight hits in the ninth.
Up next
Astros RHP Hunter Brown (10-6, 2.37 ERA) faces RHP José Soriano (9-9, 3.85) when the series continues Sunday.