Houston’s Luis Garcia spun six sharp innings and the Astros produced four doubles in a five-run fifth inning to beat Tampa Bay 5-0 on Tuesday in St. Petersburg, Fla., the Rays’ first home loss this season.
The result snapped Tampa Bay’s 14-game home winning streak to start the season — a modern-era record (since 1901). The all-time mark is the 21-0 home start by the 1880 Chicago White Stockings, the precursor to the Cubs.
In his second consecutive win, Garcia (2-2) yielded just three hits and two walks to the Rays while striking out seven over a season-high 97 pitches.
Jeremy Pena and Corey Julks notched a double, a single, a run and an RBI apiece, and Julks added a stolen base. Jake Meyers and Kyle Tucker each had two hits and an RBI.
Mauricio Dubon, who scored and stole a base, doubled twice to extend his majors-best hitting streak to 19 games as the Astros won for the fifth time in their past six outings.
Tampa Bay’s Drew Rasmussen (3-2) cruised through four innings before Houston racked up six hits in the fifth. He surrendered five runs on nine hits, struck out five and walked two in 4 2/3 innings.
Wander Franco doubled for one of Tampa Bay’s five hits as the club went homerless for the second straight game after going deep in each of the first 22 contests.
Former Astros center fielder Jose Siri (right hamstring strain) returned to Tampa Bay’s lineup for the first time since April 7 and went 0-for-2 with a walk and a strikeout.
Dubon began the decisive rally with a one-out double down the left field line, and Pena drove him in with another two-bagger that way. Tucker’s hard single to center and Jose Abreu’s two-out double pushed the lead to 3-0.
Rasmussen nearly escaped by getting a line drive from Julks, but left fielder Randy Arozarena broke in on the ball and it sailed over his head for a double.
Meyers chased Rasmussen with a ground-ball single up the middle, plating Julks with the frame’s fifth run.
Houston relievers Phil Maton, Rafael Montero and Ryan Pressly each pitched an inning to finish the shutout.
–Field Level Media
