<\/p>\n
Tampa Bay Rays third baseman Junior Caminero celebrates after his game-winning home run off Houston Astros pitcher Bryan Abreu during the ninth inning of a baseball game Friday, Sept. 11, 2026, in St. Petersburg, Fla. (AP Photo\/Chris O’Meara)<\/p>\n
Chris O’Meara\/Associated Press<\/p>\n
Tampa Bay Rays third baseman Junior Caminero, right, celebrates with left fielder Chandler Simpson (14) after the team defeated the Houston Astros a baseball game Friday, Sept. 11, 2026, in St. Petersburg, Fla. (AP Photo\/Chris O’Meara)<\/p>\n
Chris O’Meara\/Associated Press<\/p>\n
Tampa Bay Rays’ Victor Mesa Jr. reacts after his solo home run off Houston Astros pitcher Ethan Pecko during the fifth inning of a baseball game Friday, Sept. 11, 2026, in St. Petersburg, Fla. (AP Photo\/Chris O’Meara)<\/p>\n
Chris O’Meara\/Associated Press<\/p>\n
Tampa Bay Rays grounds crew member Josh Kirkwood paints a 9\/11\/01 tribute on the back of the pitcher’s mound before a baseball game between the Rays and the Houston Astros Friday, Sept. 11, 2026, in St. Petersburg, Fla. (AP Photo\/Chris O’Meara)<\/p>\n
Chris O’Meara\/Associated Press<\/p>\n
Tampa Bay Rays pitcher Drew Rasmussen delivers to the Houston Astros during the first inning of a baseball game Friday, Sept. 11, 2026, in St. Petersburg, Fla. (AP Photo\/Chris O’Meara)<\/p>\n
Chris O’Meara\/Associated Press<\/p>\n
Tampa Bay Rays’ Drew Rasmussen pitches to the Houston Astros during the first inning of a baseball game Friday, Sept. 11, 2026, in St. Petersburg, Fla. (AP Photo\/Chris O’Meara)<\/p>\n
Chris O’Meara\/Associated Press<\/p>\n
Tampa Bay Rays third baseman Junior Caminero throws out Houston Astros’ Jeremy Pe\u00f1a at first base during the first inning of a baseball game Friday, Sept. 11, 2026, in St. Petersburg, Fla. (AP Photo\/Chris O’Meara)<\/p>\n
Chris O’Meara\/Associated Press<\/p>\n
Houston Astros’ Miguel Ullola pitches to the Tampa Bay Rays during the first inning of a baseball game Friday, Sept. 11, 2026, in St. Petersburg, Fla. (AP Photo\/Chris O’Meara)<\/p>\n
Chris O’Meara\/Associated Press<\/p>\n
Houston Astros pitcher Miguel Ullola delivers to the Tampa Bay Rays during the first inning of a baseball game Friday, Sept. 11, 2026, in St. Petersburg, Fla. (AP Photo\/Chris O’Meara)<\/p>\n
Chris O’Meara\/Associated Press<\/p>\n
Houston Astros first baseman Christian Walker fields a ground ball by Tampa Bay Rays’ Jonathan Aranda during the first inning of a baseball game Friday, Sept. 11, 2026, in St. Petersburg, Fla. (AP Photo\/Chris O’Meara)<\/p>\n
Chris O’Meara\/Associated Press<\/p>\n
Houston Astros’ Ethan Pecko pitches to the Tampa Bay Rays during the third inning of a baseball game Friday, Sept. 11, 2026, in St. Petersburg, Fla. (AP Photo\/Chris O’Meara)<\/p>\n
Chris O’Meara\/Associated Press<\/p>\n
Tampa Bay Rays’ Richie Palacios (1) steals second base ahead of the tag by Houston Astros shortstop Jeremy Pe\u00f1a during the third inning of a baseball game Friday, Sept. 11, 2026, in St. Petersburg, Fla. (AP Photo\/Chris O’Meara)<\/p>\n
Chris O’Meara\/Associated Press<\/p>\n
Tampa Bay Rays left fielder Chandler Simpson leaps but can’t make the catch on a double by Houston Astros’ Isaac Paredes during the fourth inning of a baseball game Friday, Sept. 11, 2026, in St. Petersburg, Fla. (AP Photo\/Chris O’Meara)<\/p>\n
Chris O’Meara\/Associated Press<\/p>\n
Houston Astros’ Cam Smith connects for a single off Tampa Bay Rays pitcher Drew Rasmussen during the fifth inning of a baseball game Friday, Sept. 11, 2026, in St. Petersburg, Fla. (AP Photo\/Chris O’Meara)<\/p>\n
Chris O’Meara\/Associated Press<\/p>\n
Tampa Bay Rays’ Victor Mesa Jr. celebrates his solo home run off Houston Astros pitcher Ethan Pecko with Chandler Simpson (14) during the fifth inning of a baseball game Friday, Sept. 11, 2026, in St. Petersburg, Fla. (AP Photo\/Chris O’Meara)<\/p>\n
Chris O’Meara\/Associated Press<\/p>\n
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. \u2014 An unorthodox pitching plan worked about as well as the Houston Astros could have hoped Friday. With their own offense quieted, they could not capitalize against another American League contender.<\/p>\n
Junior Caminero cranked a walk-off, two-run home run against Bryan Abreu to send the Astros to a 3-1 loss in the opener of a series against the Tampa Bay Rays. With their win, the Rays became the majors\u2019 first team to clinch a playoff spot this season.<\/p>\n
Using an opener, a strategy their hosts once pioneered, the Astros had three pitchers hold the Rays to two hits before the ninth inning. Jonathan Aranda struck a one-out double against Abreu, bringing up Caminero, the American League home run leader.<\/p>\n
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Abreu entered the day with a 1.00 ERA and no home runs allowed in 27 innings since the All-Star break. With first base open, the Astros opted to pitch to Caminero. Manager Joe Espada later said that walking Caminero was not a consideration.<\/p>\n
\u201cNo, not with Abreu, his stuff, the way he\u2019s been throwing the ball,\u201d Espada said.<\/p>\n
Abreu elevated a first-pitch 96.6 mph fastball to Caminero, who drove it 417 feet to ignite a celebration at Tropicana Field. The AL East-leading Rays reached the playoffs for the sixth time in eight seasons. The Astros, who entered with a three-game lead over the Rangers in the AL West, are 75-73. Texas was playing Arizona.<\/p>\n
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Houston
\nAB
\nR
\nH
\nBI
\nBB
\nSO
\nAvg.<\/p>\n
Totals
\n33
\n1
\n9
\n1
\n1
\n6<\/p>\n
Altuve dh
\n4
\n0
\n1
\n0
\n0
\n0
\n.246<\/p>\n
Pe\u00f1a ss
\n4
\n0
\n1
\n0
\n0
\n2
\n.271<\/p>\n
Paredes 3b
\n4
\n1
\n1
\n0
\n0
\n2
\n.260<\/p>\n
Varsho cf
\n4
\n0
\n1
\n0
\n0
\n1
\n.228<\/p>\n
Diaz c
\n3
\n0
\n2
\n1
\n1
\n0
\n.272<\/p>\n
Walker 1b
\n4
\n0
\n0
\n0
\n0
\n0
\n.227<\/p>\n
Smith rf
\n4
\n0
\n1
\n0
\n0
\n1
\n.219<\/p>\n
Trammell lf
\n3
\n0
\n1
\n0
\n0
\n0
\n.210<\/p>\n
Allen 2b
\n3
\n0
\n1
\n0
\n0
\n0
\n.276<\/p>\n
Tampa Bay
\nAB
\nR
\nH
\nBI
\nBB
\nSO
\nAvg.<\/p>\n
Totals
\n27
\n3
\n4
\n3
\n2
\n5<\/p>\n
D\u00edaz dh
\n4
\n0
\n0
\n0
\n0
\n2
\n.303<\/p>\n
Aranda 1b
\n4
\n0
\n1
\n0
\n0
\n1
\n.276<\/p>\n
1-DeLuca pr
\n0
\n1
\n0
\n0
\n0
\n0
\n.262<\/p>\n
Caminero 3b
\n4
\n1
\n1
\n2
\n0
\n1
\n.279<\/p>\n
Hicks c
\n3
\n0
\n0
\n0
\n0
\n0
\n.285<\/p>\n
Mesa rf
\n2
\n1
\n1
\n1
\n1
\n0
\n.250<\/p>\n
Simpson lf
\n3
\n0
\n0
\n0
\n0
\n0
\n.306<\/p>\n
Mullins cf
\n3
\n0
\n0
\n0
\n0
\n1
\n.203<\/p>\n
Palacios 2b
\n2
\n0
\n1
\n0
\n1
\n0
\n.230<\/p>\n
Mateo ss
\n2
\n0
\n0
\n0
\n0
\n0
\n.210<\/p>\n
Houston
\n000
\n100
\n000_1
\n9
\n0<\/p>\n
Tampa Bay
\n000
\n010
\n002_3
\n4
\n0<\/p>\n
One out when winning run scored.<\/p>\n
1-ran for Aranda in the 9th.<\/p>\n
LOB_Houston 6, Tampa Bay 2. 2B_Paredes (26), Aranda (24). HR_Mesa (13), off Pecko; Caminero (40), off Abreu. RBIs_Diaz (36), Mesa (28), Caminero 2 (95). SB_Palacios (14), Altuve (5), Mesa (9). CS_Mateo (4), Pe\u00f1a (2).<\/p>\n
Runners left in scoring position_Houston 3 (Pe\u00f1a 2, Walker); Tampa Bay 2 (Simpson, D\u00edaz). RISP_Houston 2 for 6; Tampa Bay 1 for 3.<\/p>\n
Runners moved up_Allen. LIDP_Walker. GIDP_Altuve, Mateo.<\/p>\n
DP_Houston 1 (Pe\u00f1a, Walker); Tampa Bay 2 (Aranda; Palacios, Aranda).<\/p>\n
Houston
\nIP
\nH
\nR
\nER
\nBB
\nSO
\nNP
\nERA<\/p>\n
Ullola
\n1
\n0
\n0
\n0
\n0
\n0
\n13
\n3.38<\/p>\n
King
\n1
\n1-3
\n1
\n0
\n0
\n0
\n0
\n19
\n5.04<\/p>\n
Pecko
\n5
\n2-3
\n1
\n1
\n1
\n2
\n4
\n75
\n4.30<\/p>\n
Abreu, L, 6-4
\n1-3
\n2
\n2
\n2
\n0
\n1
\n9
\n3.86<\/p>\n
Tampa Bay
\nIP
\nH
\nR
\nER
\nBB
\nSO
\nNP
\nERA<\/p>\n
Rasmussen
\n7
\n8
\n1
\n1
\n0
\n4
\n92
\n2.81<\/p>\n
Wells
\n1
\n1
\n0
\n0
\n0
\n1
\n9
\n2.41<\/p>\n
Baker, W, 2-2
\n1
\n0
\n0
\n0
\n1
\n1
\n15
\n1.58<\/p>\n
Inherited runners-scored_Pecko 1-0. HBP_Pecko (Mateo). PB_Hicks (0).<\/p>\n
ABS Challenge_Rasmussen (Ball-Overturned to Strike); Pecko (Ball-Confirmed); Pecko (Ball-Overturned to Strike); Paredes (Strike-Overturned to Ball); Baker (Ball-Confirmed).<\/p>\n
Umpires_Home, Jacob Metz; First, Mark Wegner; Second, Bruce Dreckman; Third, Carlos Torres.<\/p>\n
T_2:22. A_16,217 (25,025).<\/p>\n
The Astros outhit the Rays by a 9-4 margin. But they were 2-for-6 with runners in scoring position, with neither hit driving in a run, and stranded six men on base. Tampa Bay starter Drew Rasmussen worked seven innings, navigating eight hits. One run against him scored on a fielder\u2019s choice.<\/p>\n
Houston used two relievers, Miguel Ullola and Bryan King, to face eight hitters before giving the ball to Ethan Pecko for bulk-innings work. Pecko delivered perhaps the best of his five major-league outings, allowing one run across 5\u2154 innings against an offense that has tormented right-handed pitching.<\/p>\n
Ullola, King and Pecko combined to hold the Rays to two hits across eight innings. One was a 415-foot home run by Victor Mesa Jr. against Pecko that forged a tie in the fifth.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat was a hell of a job,\u201d Espada said of the pitching. \u201cPecko threw the ball very well. Efficient, ton of strikes, that was a really good performance by someone who\u2019s been really working trying to get the ball in the zone against a really good team. Did a nice job giving us a chance to win that game tonight.\u201d<\/p>\n
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Offense vs. Rasmusson<\/p>\n
A control artist who relies on three variations of fastballs, Rasmussen skirted traffic across seven innings of one-run ball. The Astros struck eight hits against him, all but one singles. They put a runner on base in five of his innings. Only one scored. Rasmussen recorded 10 outs with ground balls.<\/p>\n
He induced double plays in two of his first three innings to work around three hits. The Astros struck in the fourth. Isaac Paredes doubled and Daulton Varsho singled. Yainer Diaz bounced another potential double-play grounder but beat the relay, allowing Paredes to score for a 1-0 lead.<\/p>\n
That was all Rasmussen allowed. He struck out Jeremy Pe\u00f1a to strand two runners in the fifth inning. He retired seven of his final eight batters. Rasmussen struck out four and did not issue a walk. Houston put 10 balls in play against him with exit velocities over 95 mph, neutralized by the ground-ball rate.<\/p>\n
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\u201cWe ran into a pretty good pitcher,\u201d Espada said. \u201cAnd opportunities in the middle of the game, couldn\u2019t get a big hit there. But I thought that we had a pretty good approach, I thought that we grinded some at-bats. Just really couldn\u2019t get a big hit there when we needed one.\u201d<\/p>\n
Ethan Pecko effective in bulk relief<\/p>\n
The Rays entered with the majors\u2019 second-highest OPS against right-handed pitching this season (.756) and the sixth-lowest OPS against left-handed pitching (.685). Their lineup Friday included a span of five consecutive left-handed hitters starting with the cleanup spot.<\/p>\n
Pecko, who was on turn to start Friday, instead entered with one out in the third inning, after the run of lefties had taken its first at-bats. He lasted through the eighth, navigating the Rays\u2019 full lineup twice, and allowed just one hit, the home run by Mesa on a first-pitch fastball.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe cutter,\u201d Pecko said, when asked what helped his efficiency. \u201cI felt like every time Yainer (Diaz) pressed the buttons back there it was cutter, so we leaned on that. Felt like I was just commanding it well, they weren\u2019t hitting it too hard, so we just leaned into that.\u201d<\/p>\n
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Pecko dialed up his cutter usage against a raft of lefties and induced mostly weak contact. He did not walk a batter until the seventh inning, the first walk issued by either club. Mesa stole second base, but Pecko got Chandler Simpson to ground out to strand him.<\/p>\n
With Abreu warming, Houston sent Pecko back out for the eighth. Pecko issued a one-out walk to Richie Palacios. Still, Espada did not move from the dugout. Pecko broke Jorge Mateo\u2019s bat on a soft groundball to Pe\u00f1a, who started an inning-ending double play.<\/p>\n
On Jeremy Pe\u00f1a<\/p>\n
Pe\u00f1a had four hits in the series in Philadelphia but remains in a prolonged offensive dip since the Aug. 3 trade deadline. In 33 games since that date, Pe\u00f1a is batting .176 with 17 runs scored, a suboptimal mark for the sparkplug of Houston\u2019s offense.<\/p>\n
Yordan Alvarez\u2019s absence Friday, a day after turning his right ankle, only heightened the need for other sources of offense. Pe\u00f1a, shifted down to the second lineup spot with Jose Altuve batting leadoff, went 1-for-4 with an eighth-inning single.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat last at-bat there, he got the hanging breaking ball in the zone and he was able to put a good swing on it,\u201d Espada said. \u201cIt\u2019s just trying to get more consistency out of that, trying to get that good pitch to hit. And when he does he drives the ball and does some damage. \u2026 It\u2019s just pitch selection for me \u2013 for any of our guys, it\u2019s just trying to stay in the zone, trying to get the pitches we can handle.\u201d<\/p>\n
Pe\u00f1a was thrown out trying to steal second in the eighth, on what Espada deemed \u201ca heck of a throw\u201d by Rays catcher Liam Hicks with the Astros trying to move a runner into scoring position. The Rays had two steals and were thrown out once in the game; the Astros were 1-for-2 on steal attempts.<\/p>\n
Opener (s) for the Astros<\/p>\n
Ullola, the converted starter, drew the opener assignment for his sixth major-league outing. He became the 19th different pitcher to start a game for the Astros this season, a franchise record.<\/p>\n
The Rays lineup Friday featured six left-handed hitters. Right-handed Yandy D\u00edaz and Caminero occupied two of the top three spots. The Astros tasked Ullola with facing those three hitters. King, the left-hander, warmed as the game began.<\/p>\n
Ullola did his job, retiring D\u00edaz, Aranda and Caminero on 13 pitches. Ullola has been unscored upon in all but one of his six outings with Houston.<\/p>\n
King entered in the second and faced the run of five left-handed hitters. He retired the first four, all on ground balls. The fifth, Richie Palacios, also hit a grounder, but up the third-base line with Isaac Paredes pulled the other way. The single ended King\u2019s outing and pressed Pecko into the game.<\/p>\n
Injury updates<\/p>\n
Carlos Correa is scheduled to take at-bats in live batting practice Saturday in West Palm Beach, Fla., said Espada. It will be Correa\u2019s first time facing live pitching since undergoing surgery for a torn peroneus brevis tendon in his left ankle in May. Correa has run bases, fielded grounders and taken batting practice at the Astros\u2019 minor-league facility in his attempt to return to the majors this year.<\/p>\n
Brice Matthews played nine innings in center field for Triple-A Sugar Land on Thursday, starting a rehab assignment in his recovery from a left knee sprain. Matthews is scheduled to play second base at Sugar Land on Saturday. Right-hander Mike Burrows, who had a setback with his shoulder while attempting a return from elbow neuritis, is scheduled to throw from a mound Sunday.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Tampa Bay Rays third baseman Junior Caminero celebrates after his game-winning home run off Houston Astros pitcher Bryan…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":433500,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7],"tags":[56,58,57],"class_list":["post-433499","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-houston","tag-houston","tag-houston-headlines","tag-houston-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/433499","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=433499"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/433499\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/433500"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=433499"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=433499"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=433499"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}