Astros Face Rays in Tampa Amid Home Field Repairs

TAMPA, Florida — The Houston Astros will begin a three-game series against the Tampa Bay Rays starting Monday at 6:05 PM CT. The games will take place at George M. Steinbrenner Field, which the New York Yankees have loaned to the Rays due to damage at Tropicana Field from Hurricane Milton.

The Astros enter the series after a hard-fought four-game set against the Arlington Rangers, where they split the series. Houston is currently in the middle of a challenging stretch of playing 17 games in 17 days. They recently won a game against the Rangers with a pivotal performance from pitcher Framber Valdez, who recorded a Quality Start with three runs over seven innings, earning the victory. Yainer Díaz also contributed significantly by hitting a home run against ace Jack Leiter.

The starting pitchers for the upcoming games against the Rays are Colton Gordon on Monday, Hunter Brown on Wednesday, and an undetermined pitcher on Tuesday versus Zack Littell. Houston’s opponents, the Rays, currently have a record of 21-24 and just faced a tough loss against the Miami Marlins where they managed only three hits.

Last season, the Astros and Rays faced each other six times, with the Astros winning four of those matchups, including a three-game sweep in mid-August. Joe Espada, the Astros’ manager, expressed confidence in his team, stating, “You fight to the end, and that’s another comeback win. We are never out of a game.”

Historically, the Astros hold a 46-50 record against the Rays, including two postseason series victories. As Houston continues its road trip, they will return home for a four-game series against the Seattle Mariners following the matches against Tampa Bay.