Rays Face Astros in Key AL Showdown Tonight

HOUSTON, Texas — The Tampa Bay Rays are set to take on the Houston Astros tonight at Daikin Park, starting at 8:10 p.m. ET. This game marks the beginning of a four-game series, with both teams currently in strong form. Tampa Bay has won seven of its last eight games, while Houston heads into the matchup on a four-game winning streak.

The Rays (28-27) currently sit two games ahead of the Toronto Blue Jays in the AL East standings. Their recent success includes a 2-1 series victory over the Astros just eight days ago. In that series, Tampa Bay clinched the final two games after dropping the first.

Tonight’s Rays starter, Shane Baz, has struggled lately, posting a 4.94 ERA this season. Despite shaky performances, his last outing showed improvement as he allowed only one run across 5.2 innings against the Toronto Blue Jays. In contrast, the Astros will send rookie right-hander Ryan Gusto to the mound, who has a 4.58 ERA in his debut season.

Houston (30-25) has found success lately, achieving a strong .270 batting average over the last two weeks. The Astros’ home record is impressive, standing at 20-10 at Daikin Park this season.

Both pitchers come into this game with concerns about their ability to go deep into the game. Baz has given up five or more earned runs in three of his last five starts, while Gusto has alternated between the bullpen and starting rotation and has completed five innings in just two games this season.

With both teams looking to keep their winning ways alive, viewers can catch live coverage of the game on ESPN Gainesville 98.1/850 AM.