After splitting the first two games against the Tampa Bay Rays, the Houston Astros closed out their series in George M. Steinbrenner Field on Wednesday. Both offenses got off to hot starts before the Rays pulled away as the Astros lost 8-4, dropping their record to 25-24.
HOW IT HAPPENED:
Jeremy Pena led off for Houston and was hit by the ball on the game’s fourth pitch. Isaac Paredes then hit a two-run homer 407 feet, over the left-center field wall, to give the Astros the lead before any outs were recorded. Yainer Diaz hit into a double play after Jose Altuve walked and Christian Walker struck out to send it to the middle of the first inning.
Tampa responded at the bottom of the opening frame with a pair of runs themselves. Yandy Diaz singled to open and advanced to second base on a pop fly from Josh Lowe. After Brandon Lowe struck out, Jonathan Aranda hit a single into left field, with Diaz scoring on the play due to a Houston fielding error. Aranda made it safely to second on the play as well and would score two plays later on a single by Chandler Simpson after left fielder Mauricio Dubon committed the Stros’ second error in the first inning. The score was tied 2-2 through one inning of play.
Both starting pitchers began to settle over the next two and a half innings, with just two hits being recorded in that time (both coming from the Astros’ bats). Houston’s starting pitcher, Hunter Brown, struck out a pair of Tampa batters. Ray’s pitcher, Taj Bradley, punched out four Astros batters, keeping the game even until the bottom of the fourth inning.
With two outs, Curtis Mead gave Tampa their first lead in the fourth with a solo homer over the center field wall. The Rays then extended their lead in the fifth when both Lowes went yard on back-to-back at-bats, putting the Astros behind 5-2.
Brown was taken out before the sixth, in favor of Bennett Sousa. The starting pitcher for the Stros finished with five hits, five earned runs allowed, and four strikeouts in five innings on the mound.
Houston looked to climb back into the game in the eighth with a pair of moon shots by Dubon and Paredes. Those two hits cut it to a one-run game before the end of the eighth.
Despite the big plays by the Astros, Tampa shut down any chance of a Houston comeback at the bottom of the eighth. Kevin Misner and Mead walked to put runners on first and second, then, with one out, Diaz put it away, hitting a three-run blast out in center field. That put the Rays ahead by four with one inning to go.
Coming down to their final three outs, Walker hit a lead-off single to keep the comeback hopes alive. Jake Meyers and Cam Smith proceeded to strike out against Tampa’s closing pitcher, Pete Fairbanks, leaving it all up to Victor Caratini. The pinch hitter grounded out to shortstop and secured the 8-4 loss for Houston, dropping their record to 25-24.
BIG NUMBER: 3
Wednesday’s loss puts Houston three games behind the division leader Seattle Mariners and put their record on the road at 10-15 with the two straight losses to the Rays.
PLAYER OF THE GAME: Yandy Diaz
Tampa’s leadoff hitter went 2/5 on the day with three RBI, a pair of runs scored, and a home run. That home run in the eighth was the nail in the coffin for the Houston Astros as they lost 8-4 to drop their record to 25-24.
UP NEXT: The Houston Astros will return home for a four-game series against the Seattle Mariners. Game one from Daikin Park is set for Thursday, May 22nd. The first pitch is scheduled for 7:10 p.m., and the action can be heard on ESPN 103.7 Lafayette and 104 Lake Charles.