Roughnecks on the road homecoming week
XFL Week 3 preview: Roughnecks at Vipers
Feb 19, 2020, 9:59 am
Photo by Getty Images.
I would start with QB talk but similar to the NFL, the XFL lacks QBs in the city of Tampa. Taylor Cornelius and Quinton Flowers are the guys you may or… well, probably may NOT want to pull up film on. Highlights? Cornelius threw a PICK… Not a TD on his last play of their game. That a boy!
Run Game: Yeah, kind of. Better than week one.
Summary: The Vipers have managed to put up nine more points than the LA Rams did in the Super Bowl. If you're not good at math, that's a total of 12 points on the season. This team has really struggled to get the offense rolling. Meanwhile, the Houston Roughnecks defense ranks second just behind the DC Defenders.
In his first two games, PJ Walker is 43 of 69 passing for 442 yards. He leads the league with seven touchdowns and only one interception.
Tampa's defense allowed the NY Guardians to put up 23 points in week 1 and Seattle 17 last week. In my opinion, those are two of the more weak teams. Are you getting what I'm throwing out here?
Someone referred to the Vipers as being the team you play during homecoming week in school. I'd say I have to agree. Houston fans sit back and get ready. I expect a huge game from the Roughnecks this week.
Basically, the only entertainment you'll get out of Tampa will be found on CultureMap where I'm sure our dear friend Eric Sandler has a great list of food spots to try!
Tune into ABC at 1 p.m. this Saturday to support your Houston Roughnecks during their on the road "home coming week" against the Tampa Bay Vipers.
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Jeremy Peña and Christian Walker each hit a three-run homer, and the Houston Astros outslugged the Baltimore Orioles 10-7 on Friday night.
A little something to make your day better pic.twitter.com/whwYikHwx2
— Houston Astros (@astros) August 22, 2025
Colton Cowser went deep for Baltimore, but the Orioles couldn’t pull this game out despite twice cutting a four-run deficit to one.
Steven Okert (2-2) got the win in relief for Houston, and the Astros — who are without injured closer Josh Hader and lefty reliever Bennett Sousa — held on. Houston signed veteran reliever Craig Kimbrel and he was with the team, but the AL West-leading Astros didn’t use him. Bryan Abreu struck out four to end the game and get his second save.
Rookie catcher Samuel Basallo, who agreed to an eight-year, $67 million contract before the game, did not start for the Orioles, but entered as a pinch hitter in the seventh and tagged out a runner at the plate the following inning.
Peña’s drive to left capped a four-run third that included two Baltimore errors. Jeremiah Jackson’s two-run double made it 4-3 in the fourth, but after Orioles starter Cade Povich (2-7) was pulled with two outs in the fifth, Yennier Cano came on and immediately gave up Walker’s homer.
The Orioles trailed 7-6 after Cowser’s solo shot in the seventh, but pinch-hitter Victor Caratini’s two-run double in the eighth made it a three-run game, and Peña’s comebacker bounced off reliever Corbin Martin and into shallow right-center field for an RBI double.
Orioles infielder Vimael Machín hit a solo homer in the eighth in his first big league plate appearance since 2022.
Houston starter Lance McCullers Jr. allowed three runs in four innings after coming off the injured list (right finger blister).
Key moment
Jackson nearly made a diving catch on Caratini’s hit with two outs in the eighth, but once the ball got past him in right, two runs scored to make it 9-6.
Adding some insurance! pic.twitter.com/wKoPuHmenr
— Houston Astros (@astros) August 23, 2025
Key stat
The Astros improved to 15-8 in games in which their opponent starts a left-handed pitcher.
Up next
Cristian Javier (1-1) starts for Houston on Saturday night against Dean Kremer (9-9) of the Orioles.