Japan’s Yusei Kikuchi of the Houston Astros, shown in this long exposure photo, throws for the Tampa Bay Rays during the fifth inning of a baseball game on Tuesday, August 13, 2024, in St. Petersburg, Florida.
11:46 JST, August 14, 2024
Houston slugger Alex Bregman hit a game-tying home run, Yusei Kikuchi shut out Tampa Bay for the second time in two weeks and the Astros won their seventh straight game by beating the Rays 3-2 on Tuesday night in St. Petersburg, Florida.
Bregman went 3-for-5 with the long ball, a double and two runs. He homered for the fourth straight game and extended his hitting streak to eight games, in which he is 16-for-37 (.432).
Kikuchi, who struck out 11 Rays in his Astros debut on Aug. 2, allowed just one run on three hits in 5 2/3 innings Tuesday. The left-hander struck out five without giving up a hit.
Kikuchi (6-9) won for the second time in three starts with Houston after being acquired from the Toronto Blue Jays on July 29.
Jeremy Pena (solo homer) and Yainer Diaz each had two hits and an RBI for the Astros.
Rays starter Shane Baz (0-2) threw a career-high seven innings, allowing three runs on seven hits, including two homers. The right-handed pitcher struck out six and walked two.
Third baseman Junior Caminero, one of the majors’ top prospects, went 1-for-4 with three hits in his 2024 debut for the Rays, who ultimately managed just five hits.
With two outs and the bases empty at Tampa Bay’s second base camp, Jose Caballero hit a single to left on what would normally have been a single. However, left fielder Chas McCormick nonchalantly went for the ball and the speedy Caballero easily lobbed a ball into second for a double. Josh Lowe followed with an RBI single to center for a 1-0 lead.
Baz got into trouble in the third inning after making two straight outs. Bregman doubled and Baz walked Yordan Alvarez before Diaz hit a run-scoring single to tie the score at 1-all.
In the fifth inning, Bregman hit his 19th home run with two outs, a 376-foot shot to left for a 2-1 lead.
Pena hit another home run with one out in the sixth inning, driving the ball 408 feet to left-center field for his 11th home run.
After the Rays loaded the bases with one out against Ryan Pressly in the eighth inning, Brandon Lowe hit an RBI groundout in an 11-pitch at-bat before Christopher Morel grounded out to the shortstop to end the inning.
Houston closer Josh Hader threw a perfect ninth inning with a strikeout for his 26th consecutive save and his 26th overall this season.
