All the signs pointed toward the Houston Astros completing their climb to the top of the American League West standings, with both Jose Altuve and Yordan Alvarez returning from injury Wednesday and ace Framber Valdez starting the finale of a three-game set with the Texas Rangers.
But instead of completing a sweep of the Rangers and drawing even with Texas atop the division, the Astros absorbed a 13-5 loss on Wednesday that knocked them two games back, with the Tampa Bay Rays set to visit Houston for a three-game weekend series starting Friday.
“It’s disappointing, yeah,” Astros manager Dusty Baker said. “(But) you always want to win series. Imagine if they had come in here and beat us two out of three or swept us.
“We’re back to two out and we gained a game on them. And we have like nine weeks to go.”
Right-hander Cristian Javier (7-2, 4.32 ERA) has the starting assignment for the Astros on Friday. He allowed two runs on one hit with five strikeouts over 5 2/3 innings against the Oakland Athletics on Saturday but tied a career high with six walks and took the loss in a 4-1 defeat.
Since winning five consecutive starts from May 10 through June 3, Javier is 0-1 with a 7.52 ERA over seven starts, with 17 walks and an opponent OPS of .861 over 32 1/3 innings.
Javier is 2-0 with a 1.69 ERA over three career starts against Tampa Bay. He twirled six shutout innings at Tampa Bay in his final regular-season start last season, allowing two hits and two walks with seven strikeouts in a 2-1 victory.
Left-hander Shane McClanahan (11-1, 2.89 ERA) is scheduled to start the series opener for the Rays. He did not factor into the decision of his last start on Saturday against the Baltimore Orioles after surrendering five runs on five hits and three walks with five strikeouts over four innings in the Rays’ 6-5 loss.
McClanahan held Baltimore hitless over his first three innings before allowing five runs in the fourth. He is winless over his last four starts and has pitched to a 7.02 ERA during that span.
McClanahan is 0-2 with a 7.00 ERA in two career starts against the Astros, both of which came down the stretch last season. He has recorded five strikeouts and five walks over nine innings.
The Rays continued their slumping ways on Wednesday, falling 7-1 to the Miami Marlins to complete a 2-4 homestand. Tampa Bay has dropped eight of 10 games, fell to 5-15 in July and is 1-5-1 in its last seven series.
Once 6 1/2 games up in the AL East, the Rays will open a 10-day, nine-game road trip on Friday 1 1/2 games behind the Orioles.
Adding to their issues, the Rays lost right-hander Zach Eflin to left knee discomfort Wednesday, one day after infielder Yandy Diaz departed early with left groin tightness. Tampa Bay lost catcher Francisco Mejia (left knee) and infielder Taylor Walls (left oblique) to injuries earlier on the homestand.
“Yandy appears to be doing well, pretty good,” Rays manager Kevin Cash said. “The MRI results were encouraging so it’s still in the same spot hoping to avoid any significant time lost.”
–Field Level Media
