HOUSTON (SportsRadio 610)- Thanks to a three-run seventh innin rally, the Astros won their sixth straight game, beating the Tampa Bay Rays 8-6 Wednesday night at Minute Maid Park.
The Astros trailed 4-3 when the inning started, but against Diego Castillo, who replaced starter Ryan Yarbrough, Yuli Gurriel walked on five pitches and Aledmys Diaz tied the game when he brought home Gurriel with a double down the leftfield line. Diaz was erased off the bases when Martin Maldonado bunted into a fielder's choice, but Jake Marisnick singled against the shift, and George Springer put the Astros on top with a bloop single to centerfield, driving home Maldonado. It looked as though the inning would end with the Astros just up a run, but on what looked to be an inning ending double play, Jose Altuve reached when Eric Sogard's relay throw sailed over the head of Rays first baseman Ji-Man Choi, plating Marisnick.
Houston's rally came right after Tampa broke a 3-3 tie when Jesus Aguilar followed Joey Wendle's leadoff triple with an RBI single off Gerrit Cole, who allowed four runs in 6.2 innings. He struck out 14 batter, matching a season-high. Will Harris recorded the final out of the seventh and then struck out two in a 1-2-3 eighth inning. He earned the win, and Roberto Osuna notched the game's final three outs, despite allowing a two-run homer to Willy Adames following the Astros two-run bottom of the eighth as they improve to 87-47.
Tampa grabbed an early 3-0 lead after taking advantage of a walk, balk and wild pitch to push across a run in the second. In the fourth, Choi smacked a 2-2 slider from Cole into the Astros bullpen for his 12th home run of the season.
The Astros answered in their half of the inning and tied the game against Ryan Yarbrough. Alex Bregman followed Altuve's leadoff double with an RBI single, and with two out, Gurriel sent a 2-0 fastball over the rightfield wall for his 27th home run. Yarbrough didn't factor in the decision despite holding the Astros to those three runs over six innings.
Bregman finished with three hits, the third was his 30th double of 2019. He also scored two runs.
Choi had a pair of hits for the Rays who drop their fourth in a row.
Zack Greinke will take the mound Thursday afternoon as they go for the sweep of the Rays at Minute Maid Park.
