Jose Altuve and the Astros mustered just five hits in Saturday’s loss to the Rays.
Chris O’Meara/Associated Press
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — A second straight game without Yordan Alvarez reinforced a reality. The Houston Astros need more consistent sources of offense, with time running short for them to emerge.
A lineup missing its leading threat mustered five hits in a 3-2 loss to the Tampa Bay Rays on Saturday, undermining a determined start by right-hander Peter Lambert and ensuring a series loss to the American League’s first playoff entrant at Tropicana Field.
The Astros, who entered with the fifth-fewest runs in the majors since the Aug. 3 trade deadline, scored three or fewer for the 21st time in 36 games in that stretch. The offensive downturn might be presenting a direr threat to their playoff hopes if not for an inept division. The loss left Houston with a 2 ½-game AL West lead over the Rangers, who entered the day four games under .500, pending Texas’ result.
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“We all know of Yordan’s absence and how important he is to the lineup,” third baseman Isaac Paredes said, through an interpreter. “These last two games we have struggled, but it’s only two games and tomorrow’s another day.”
The Astros are 75-74 with 13 games remaining on their schedule. Yainer Diaz had three of their five hits Saturday, including a run-scoring single in the sixth inning. Paredes’ solo home run in the first against Rays starter Ian Seymour, who worked six strong frames, provided their only other run. Houston hitters were 2-for-6 with runners in scoring position and stranded six men on base.
The first was Seymour’s rockiest inning, as three straight batters reached. Daulton Varsho and Christian Walker struck out to defuse the threat. Richie Palacios’ two-run single wrought the first blemish against Lambert in his six-plus innings. Nick Madrigal broke a 2-2 tie for the Rays with a pinch-hit sacrifice fly in the bottom of the seventh.
Jeremy Peña, who entered batting .176 since Aug. 3 and went hitless in his first three at-bats, worked a leadoff walk in the eighth. Three batters combined to see 25 pitches from Ty Johnson, who retired two and ceded to Rays closer Bryan Baker. Diaz squibbed an infield single that moved Peña to third. Varsho struck out swinging at a high fastball to strand him.
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“Call a spade a spade, they’re a good pitching staff, they know what they’re doing,” said left fielder Taylor Trammell, whose 388-foot fly out ended the game. “Of all the teams I think we’ve played this year, they’re one of the top teams that are prepared each and every day, they kind of have an idea of how they want to attack everybody.”
Astros hitters totaled 14 strikeouts and three walks on the night. Varsho, the team’s lone trade deadline addition, and catcher Christian Vázquez each struck out three times, Peña and Cam Smith each twice. Diaz, Paredes and Jose Altuve produced their five hits. A lineup that has scored three runs over the first 18 innings this series is sorely missing its slugger. But the rest of a struggling offense must respond.
“It’s a good team, good pitching, and we’re grinding through this,” Houston manager Joe Espada said. “Tomorrow we’ll get a chance to go out there, maybe pick up that game and go back home 3-3 on the road, which that’s what you want to do, play .500 on the road trip.”
Houston
AB
R
H
BI
BB
SO
Avg.
Totals
32
2
5
2
3
14
Peña ss
3
0
0
0
1
2
.269
Paredes 3b
4
1
1
1
0
1
.260
Altuve 2b
3
1
1
0
1
1
.247
Diaz dh
4
0
3
1
0
0
.279
Varsho cf
4
0
0
0
0
3
.226
Walker 1b
4
0
0
0
0
1
.225
Smith rf
4
0
0
0
0
2
.217
Trammell lf
3
0
0
0
1
1
.207
Vázquez c
3
0
0
0
0
3
.208
Tampa Bay
AB
R
H
BI
BB
SO
Avg.
Totals
27
3
7
3
4
4
Díaz dh
4
0
0
0
0
1
.301
Aranda 1b
3
0
1
0
1
0
.277
Caminero 3b
4
0
1
0
0
0
.279
Hicks c
3
0
1
0
0
0
.286
1-Piper pr-c
0
1
0
0
0
0
.222
c-Vilade ph
0
0
0
0
1
0
.262
Fortes c
0
0
0
0
0
0
.263
Mesa rf
2
1
1
0
2
1
.253
Simpson lf
4
1
1
0
0
0
.306
Mullins cf
1
0
0
0
0
0
.202
a-Madrigal ph-2b
0
0
0
1
0
0
.255
Palacios 2b
2
0
1
2
0
0
.232
b-DeLuca ph-cf
1
0
1
0
0
0
.264
Mateo ss
3
0
0
0
0
2
.207
Houston
100
001
000_2
5
0
Tampa Bay
000
020
10x_3
7
0
a-sacrificed for Mullins in the 7th. b-singled for Palacios in the 7th. c-walked for Piper in the 8th.
1-ran for Hicks in the 7th.
LOB_Houston 6, Tampa Bay 6. 2B_Altuve (23), Hicks (14). HR_Paredes (20), off Seymour. RBIs_Paredes (83), Diaz (37), Palacios 2 (47), Madrigal (3). SB_DeLuca (15). CS_Palacios (6). SF_Madrigal. S_Mullins.
Runners left in scoring position_Houston 2 (Varsho, Walker); Tampa Bay 4 (Simpson 2, Mateo 2). RISP_Houston 2 for 6; Tampa Bay 2 for 6.
Runners moved up_Paredes. GIDP_Caminero.
DP_Houston 1 (Paredes, Altuve, Walker).
IP
H
R
ER
BB
SO
NP
ERA
6
6
3
3
0
4
85
3.71
0
0
0
1
0
13
5.40
1
1
0
0
2
0
24
3.30
0
0
0
1
0
7
5.01
IP
H
R
ER
BB
SO
NP
ERA
6
4
2
2
1
10
79
4.27
1
0
0
0
1
2
15
2.38
0
0
0
1
1
25
3.86
1
1
0
0
0
1
20
1.54
Inherited runners-scored_Sousa 1-1, Blubaugh 1-0, King 2-0, Baker 1-0. WP_Blubaugh.
ABS Challenge_Vázquez (Strike-Confirmed); Smith (Strike-Confirmed); Baker (Ball-Overturned to Strike).
Pitch timer violations_Mesa (batter).
Umpires_Home, Mark Wegner; First, Bruce Dreckman; Second, Carlos Torres; Third, Jacob Metz.
T_2:44. A_24,462 (25,025).
How did Peter Lambert pitch?
After working fewer than six innings in each of six starts in August, Lambert has recorded quality starts in his first two outings of September. Houston’s most dependable starter all season was efficient Saturday, completing his first six innings on 76 pitches. He did not walk a batter, struck out four and recorded eight outs via ground ball.
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“Started out really well, ran into some traffic late,” Lambert said. “Overall I thought it was a pretty good game, just wasn’t enough.”
Junior Caminero, the AL home run leader who walked off the Astros on Friday, struck a two-out single in the first inning. Lambert retired his next 10 batters in a row. Outside of a few hitters, the Rays thrive on creating action as an offense over hard contact. Lambert avoided traffic on the basepaths and resulting damage until the fifth.
Victor Mesa Jr. won an eight-pitch battle for a leadoff single. Chandler Simpson lined a hit over Peña at shortstop. Lambert threw out Cedric Mullins on an ill-fated squeeze attempt. But Palacios beat a fastball above the zone for a single to center, scoring two runs. Lambert ended the sixth with a 2-2 tie still intact by inducing a double play from Caminero, letting out a scream on the mound.
With a left-hander warming, the Astros sent Lambert back to the mound to start the seventh. Liam Hicks worked a nine-pitch at-bat and lined a fastball into the right-field corner for a double. He proved the final batter for Lambert, who allowed six hits over six-plus innings and saw Hicks’ run added to his ledger after his exit. Lambert owns a 3.71 ERA across a team-high 145 ⅔ innings.
“I felt great, I was ready to go, excited to get back out there,” Lambert said of returning for the seventh. “Long at-bat with Hicks, he hit a double and that was the end of my night.”
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Houston Astros’ Jose Altuve watches his double off Tampa Bay Rays pitcher Ian Seymour during the sixth inning of a baseball game Saturday, Sept. 12, 2026, in St. Petersburg, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O’Meara)
Chris O’Meara/Associated Press
Houston Astros’ Jose Altuve (27) scores in front of Tampa Bay Rays catcher Liam Hicks on an RBI single by Yainer Diaz during the sixth inning of a baseball game Saturday, Sept. 12, 2026, in St. Petersburg, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O’Meara)
Chris O’Meara/Associated Press
Tampa Bay Rays center fielder Cedric Mullins cen’t make the catch on a double by Houston Astros’ Jose Altuve during the sixth inning of a baseball game Saturday, Sept. 12, 2026, in St. Petersburg, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O’Meara)
Chris O’Meara/Associated Press
Tampa Bay Rays’ Chandler Simpson, right, and Victor Mesa Jr. celebrate after scoring on a two-run single by Richie Palacios off Houston Astros pitcher Peter Lambert during the fifth inning of a baseball game Saturday, Sept. 12, 2026, in St. Petersburg, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O’Meara)
Chris O’Meara/Associated Press
Houston Astros pitcher Peter Lambert delivers to the Tampa Bay Rays during the first inning of a baseball game Saturday, Sept. 12, 2026, in St. Petersburg, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O’Meara)
Chris O’Meara/Associated Press
Houston Astros’ Peter Lambert pitches to the Tampa Bay Rays during the first inning of a baseball game Saturday, Sept. 12, 2026, in St. Petersburg, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O’Meara)
Chris O’Meara/Associated Press
Tampa Bay Rays second baseman Richie Palacios (1) chases after an infield single by Houston Astros’ Yainer Diaz as Jose Altuve (27) advances to second base during the first inning of a baseball game Saturday, Sept. 12, 2026, in St. Petersburg, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O’Meara)
Chris O’Meara/Associated Press
Tampa Bay Rays pitcher Ian Seymour delivers to the Houston Astros during the first inning of a baseball game Saturday, Sept. 12, 2026, in St. Petersburg, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O’Meara)
Chris O’Meara/Associated Press
Houston Astros’ Isaac Paredes (15) celebrates his solo home run off Tampa Bay Rays pitcher Ian Seymour with Yainer Diaz (21) during the first inning of a baseball game Saturday, Sept. 12, 2026, in St. Petersburg, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O’Meara)
Chris O’Meara/Associated Press
Houston Astros’ Yainer Diaz (21) celebrates his RBI single off Tampa Bay Rays pitcher Ian Seymour with first base coach Dave Clark (23) during the sixth inning of a baseball game Saturday, Sept. 12, 2026, in St. Petersburg, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O’Meara)
Chris O’Meara/Associated Press
Tampa Bay Rays pitcher Bryan Baker reacts after closing out the Houston Astros during the ninth inning of a baseball game Saturday, Sept. 12, 2026, in St. Petersburg, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O’Meara)
Chris O’Meara/Associated Press
Houston Astros third baseman Isaac Paredes throws out Tampa Bay Rays’ Yandy Díaz at first base during the eighth inning of a baseball game Saturday, Sept. 12, 2026, in St. Petersburg, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O’Meara)
Chris O’Meara/Associated Press
Houston Astros’ Jose Altuve strikes out against Tampa Bay Rays pitcher Ty Johnson during the eighth inning of a baseball game Saturday, Sept. 12, 2026, in St. Petersburg, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O’Meara)
Chris O’Meara/Associated Press
Ian Seymour shuts down Astros
Seymour flummoxed the Houston lineup like few pitchers have. The left-hander generated 19 swing-and-misses in six innings, tied for the fourth-most by an opposing pitcher against the Astros this season. Ten of the first 18 batters he faced struck out.
“We had a tough time seeing him up, laying off the changeup,” Espada said. “Changed speeds well, changeup down, four-seam up. Paredes’ home run in the first got (us) out to a good start but then had a tough time just kind of laying off some tough pitches.”
Paredes, his second batter of the game, struck a solo home run. Altuve walked and Diaz singled. Seymour retired his next 16 hitters in a row, nine via strikeout. His changeup induced nine whiffs on 16 swings, complementing his four-seam fastball and sinker.
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Just one Astro hit a ball to an outfielder from innings two through five. The top of their lineup arrived for a third look in the sixth. Seymour notched two outs before Altuve drove a high slider for a double. Diaz grounded a single up the middle to score him, forging a 2-2 tie.
The sixth proved Seymour’s final inning. Though eight of 12 balls put in play against him held exit velocities above 95 mph, the Statcast hard-hit threshold, just four went for hits. The Astros chased out of the zone at a 45% clip and whiffed at a 42% rate against him.
“He managed his pitches well,” Paredes said, through interpreter Otto Loor. “He was able to locate with all his pitches and we weren’t able to adjust to it.”
Isaac Paredes keeps producing
For an offense that has fallen off since the trade deadline, Paredes has remained a consistent producer. Paredes entered Saturday with a team-leading 137 wRC+ since Aug. 3, with the Astros scoring the fifth-fewest runs in the majors in that stretch.
Paredes has surpassed slumping shortstop Jeremy Peña in OPS-plus, for the club’s second-highest mark after Alvarez. In his first at-bat Saturday, Paredes hit a sweeper from Seymour into the left-field seats for his 20th home run of the season.
Paredes became the fourth Astros hitter to reach 20 homers this season, after Alvarez, Walker and Smith. He reached that mark for the fourth time in his career. Paredes’ 83 RBIs this season are his second-most after a 2023 season in which he totaled 31 homers and 98 RBIs with the Rays.