{"id":434379,"date":"2026-09-13T02:02:12","date_gmt":"2026-09-13T02:02:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/434379\/"},"modified":"2026-09-13T02:02:12","modified_gmt":"2026-09-13T02:02:12","slug":"houston-astros-offense-struggles-again-in-loss-to-tampa-bay-rays","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/434379\/","title":{"rendered":"Houston Astros&#8217; offense struggles again in loss to Tampa Bay Rays"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><img alt=\"Jose Altuve and the Astros mustered just five hits in Saturday's loss to the Rays.\" loading=\"eager\" fetchpriority=\"high\"   style=\"aspect-ratio:3 \/ 2\" class=\"x100 y100 opc bgpc ofcv bgscv block bg-gray200 mnh0px fill\"\/><\/p>\n<p>Jose Altuve and the Astros mustered just five hits in Saturday&#8217;s loss to the Rays.<\/p>\n<p>Chris O&#8217;Meara\/Associated Press<\/p>\n<p>ST. PETERSBURG, Fla.\u00a0\u2014 A second straight game\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.houstonchronicle.com\/sports\/astros\/article\/yordan-alvarez-out-again-rays-22429064.php\" data-link=\"native\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" title=\"https:\/\/www.houstonchronicle.com\/sports\/astros\/article\/yordan-alvarez-out-again-rays-22429064.php\" class=\"\">without Yordan Alvarez<\/a>\u00a0reinforced a reality. The\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.houstonchronicle.com\/sports\/astros\/\" data-link=\"native\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" title=\"https:\/\/www.houstonchronicle.com\/sports\/astros\/\" class=\"\">Houston Astros<\/a>\u00a0need more consistent sources of offense, with time running short for them to emerge.<\/p>\n<p>A lineup missing its leading threat mustered five hits in a 3-2 loss to the Tampa Bay\u00a0Rays on Saturday, undermining a determined start by\u00a0right-hander Peter Lambert and ensuring a series loss to the American League\u2019s first playoff entrant at Tropicana Field.<\/p>\n<p>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 \u00bd-game AL West lead over the Rangers, who entered the day four games under .500, pending Texas\u2019 result.<\/p>\n<p class=\"uiTextSmall f aic jcc\">Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe all know of Yordan\u2019s absence and how important he is to the lineup,\u201d third baseman Isaac Paredes said, through an interpreter. \u201cThese last two games we have struggled, but it\u2019s only two games and tomorrow\u2019s another day.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>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\u2019 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.<\/p>\n<p>The first was Seymour\u2019s rockiest inning, as three straight batters reached. Daulton Varsho and Christian Walker struck out to defuse the threat. Richie Palacios\u2019 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.<\/p>\n<p>Jeremy Pe\u00f1a, 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 Pe\u00f1a to third. Varsho struck out swinging at a high fastball to strand him.<\/p>\n<p class=\"uiTextSmall f aic jcc\">Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n<p>\u201cCall a spade a spade, they\u2019re a good pitching staff, they know what they\u2019re doing,\u201d said left fielder Taylor Trammell, whose 388-foot fly out ended the game. \u201cOf all the teams I think we\u2019ve played this year, they\u2019re 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.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Astros hitters totaled 14 strikeouts and three walks on the night. Varsho, the team&#8217;s lone trade deadline addition, and catcher Christian V\u00e1zquez each struck out three times, Pe\u00f1a 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.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIt\u2019s a good team, good pitching, and we\u2019re grinding through this,\u201d Houston manager Joe Espada said. \u201cTomorrow we\u2019ll get a chance to go out there, maybe pick up that game and go back home 3-3 on the road, which that\u2019s what you want to do, play .500 on the road trip.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Houston<br \/>\nAB<br \/>\nR<br \/>\nH<br \/>\nBI<br \/>\nBB<br \/>\nSO<br \/>\nAvg.<\/p>\n<p>Totals<br \/>\n32<br \/>\n2<br \/>\n5<br \/>\n2<br \/>\n3<br \/>\n14<\/p>\n<p>Pe\u00f1a ss<br \/>\n3<br \/>\n0<br \/>\n0<br \/>\n0<br \/>\n1<br \/>\n2<br \/>\n.269<\/p>\n<p>Paredes 3b<br \/>\n4<br \/>\n1<br \/>\n1<br \/>\n1<br \/>\n0<br \/>\n1<br \/>\n.260<\/p>\n<p>Altuve 2b<br \/>\n3<br \/>\n1<br \/>\n1<br \/>\n0<br \/>\n1<br \/>\n1<br \/>\n.247<\/p>\n<p>Diaz dh<br \/>\n4<br \/>\n0<br \/>\n3<br \/>\n1<br \/>\n0<br \/>\n0<br \/>\n.279<\/p>\n<p>Varsho cf<br \/>\n4<br \/>\n0<br \/>\n0<br \/>\n0<br \/>\n0<br \/>\n3<br \/>\n.226<\/p>\n<p>Walker 1b<br \/>\n4<br \/>\n0<br \/>\n0<br \/>\n0<br \/>\n0<br \/>\n1<br \/>\n.225<\/p>\n<p>Smith rf<br \/>\n4<br \/>\n0<br \/>\n0<br \/>\n0<br \/>\n0<br \/>\n2<br \/>\n.217<\/p>\n<p>Trammell lf<br \/>\n3<br \/>\n0<br \/>\n0<br \/>\n0<br \/>\n1<br \/>\n1<br \/>\n.207<\/p>\n<p>V\u00e1zquez c<br \/>\n3<br \/>\n0<br \/>\n0<br \/>\n0<br \/>\n0<br \/>\n3<br \/>\n.208<\/p>\n<p>Tampa Bay<br \/>\nAB<br \/>\nR<br \/>\nH<br \/>\nBI<br \/>\nBB<br \/>\nSO<br \/>\nAvg.<\/p>\n<p>Totals<br \/>\n27<br \/>\n3<br \/>\n7<br \/>\n3<br \/>\n4<br \/>\n4<\/p>\n<p>D\u00edaz dh<br \/>\n4<br \/>\n0<br \/>\n0<br \/>\n0<br \/>\n0<br \/>\n1<br \/>\n.301<\/p>\n<p>Aranda 1b<br \/>\n3<br \/>\n0<br \/>\n1<br \/>\n0<br \/>\n1<br \/>\n0<br \/>\n.277<\/p>\n<p>Caminero 3b<br \/>\n4<br \/>\n0<br \/>\n1<br \/>\n0<br \/>\n0<br \/>\n0<br \/>\n.279<\/p>\n<p>Hicks c<br \/>\n3<br \/>\n0<br \/>\n1<br \/>\n0<br \/>\n0<br \/>\n0<br \/>\n.286<\/p>\n<p>1-Piper pr-c<br \/>\n0<br \/>\n1<br \/>\n0<br \/>\n0<br \/>\n0<br \/>\n0<br \/>\n.222<\/p>\n<p>c-Vilade ph<br \/>\n0<br \/>\n0<br \/>\n0<br \/>\n0<br \/>\n1<br \/>\n0<br \/>\n.262<\/p>\n<p>Fortes c<br \/>\n0<br \/>\n0<br \/>\n0<br \/>\n0<br \/>\n0<br \/>\n0<br \/>\n.263<\/p>\n<p>Mesa rf<br \/>\n2<br \/>\n1<br \/>\n1<br \/>\n0<br \/>\n2<br \/>\n1<br \/>\n.253<\/p>\n<p>Simpson lf<br \/>\n4<br \/>\n1<br \/>\n1<br \/>\n0<br \/>\n0<br \/>\n0<br \/>\n.306<\/p>\n<p>Mullins cf<br \/>\n1<br \/>\n0<br \/>\n0<br \/>\n0<br \/>\n0<br \/>\n0<br \/>\n.202<\/p>\n<p>a-Madrigal ph-2b<br \/>\n0<br \/>\n0<br \/>\n0<br \/>\n1<br \/>\n0<br \/>\n0<br \/>\n.255<\/p>\n<p>Palacios 2b<br \/>\n2<br \/>\n0<br \/>\n1<br \/>\n2<br \/>\n0<br \/>\n0<br \/>\n.232<\/p>\n<p>b-DeLuca ph-cf<br \/>\n1<br \/>\n0<br \/>\n1<br \/>\n0<br \/>\n0<br \/>\n0<br \/>\n.264<\/p>\n<p>Mateo ss<br \/>\n3<br \/>\n0<br \/>\n0<br \/>\n0<br \/>\n0<br \/>\n2<br \/>\n.207<\/p>\n<p>Houston<br \/>\n100<br \/>\n001<br \/>\n000_2<br \/>\n5<br \/>\n0<\/p>\n<p>Tampa Bay<br \/>\n000<br \/>\n020<br \/>\n10x_3<br \/>\n7<br \/>\n0<\/p>\n<p class=\"text-ind\">a-sacrificed for Mullins in the 7th. b-singled for Palacios in the 7th. c-walked for Piper in the 8th.<\/p>\n<p class=\"text-ind\">1-ran for Hicks in the 7th.<\/p>\n<p class=\"text-ind\">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.<\/p>\n<p class=\"text-ind\">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.<\/p>\n<p class=\"text-ind\">Runners moved up_Paredes. GIDP_Caminero.<\/p>\n<p class=\"text-ind\">DP_Houston 1 (Paredes, Altuve, Walker).<\/p>\n<p>IP<\/p>\n<p>H<br \/>\nR<br \/>\nER<br \/>\nBB<br \/>\nSO<br \/>\nNP<br \/>\nERA<\/p>\n<p>6<\/p>\n<p>6<br \/>\n3<br \/>\n3<br \/>\n0<br \/>\n4<br \/>\n85<br \/>\n3.71<\/p>\n<p>0<br \/>\n0<br \/>\n0<br \/>\n1<br \/>\n0<br \/>\n13<br \/>\n5.40<\/p>\n<p>1<\/p>\n<p>1<br \/>\n0<br \/>\n0<br \/>\n2<br \/>\n0<br \/>\n24<br \/>\n3.30<\/p>\n<p>0<br \/>\n0<br \/>\n0<br \/>\n1<br \/>\n0<br \/>\n7<br \/>\n5.01<\/p>\n<p>IP<\/p>\n<p>H<br \/>\nR<br \/>\nER<br \/>\nBB<br \/>\nSO<br \/>\nNP<br \/>\nERA<\/p>\n<p>6<\/p>\n<p>4<br \/>\n2<br \/>\n2<br \/>\n1<br \/>\n10<br \/>\n79<br \/>\n4.27<\/p>\n<p>1<\/p>\n<p>0<br \/>\n0<br \/>\n0<br \/>\n1<br \/>\n2<br \/>\n15<br \/>\n2.38<\/p>\n<p>0<br \/>\n0<br \/>\n0<br \/>\n1<br \/>\n1<br \/>\n25<br \/>\n3.86<\/p>\n<p>1<\/p>\n<p>1<br \/>\n0<br \/>\n0<br \/>\n0<br \/>\n1<br \/>\n20<br \/>\n1.54<\/p>\n<p class=\"text-ind\">Inherited runners-scored_Sousa 1-1, Blubaugh 1-0, King 2-0, Baker 1-0. WP_Blubaugh.<\/p>\n<p class=\"text-ind\">ABS Challenge_V\u00e1zquez (Strike-Confirmed); Smith (Strike-Confirmed); Baker (Ball-Overturned to Strike).<\/p>\n<p class=\"text-ind\">Pitch timer violations_Mesa (batter).<\/p>\n<p class=\"text-ind\">Umpires_Home, Mark Wegner; First, Bruce Dreckman; Second, Carlos Torres; Third, Jacob Metz.<\/p>\n<p class=\"text-ind\">T_2:44. A_24,462 (25,025).<\/p>\n<p>How did Peter Lambert pitch?<\/p>\n<p>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\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n<p class=\"uiTextSmall f aic jcc\">Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n<p>\u201cStarted out really well, ran into some traffic late,\u201d Lambert said. \u201cOverall I thought it was a pretty good game, just wasn\u2019t enough.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Junior Caminero, the AL home run leader\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.houstonchronicle.com\/sports\/astros\/article\/houston-tampa-bay-rays-score-bryan-abreu-22426999.php\" data-link=\"native\" rel=\"noopener nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" title=\"https:\/\/www.houstonchronicle.com\/sports\/astros\/article\/houston-tampa-bay-rays-score-bryan-abreu-22426999.php\" class=\"\">who walked off the Astros on Friday<\/a>, 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.<\/p>\n<p>Victor Mesa Jr. won an eight-pitch battle for a leadoff single. Chandler Simpson lined a hit over Pe\u00f1a 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.<\/p>\n<p>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\u2019 run added to his ledger after his exit. Lambert owns a 3.71 ERA across a team-high 145 \u2154 innings.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI felt great, I was ready to go, excited to get back out there,\u201d Lambert said of returning for the seventh. \u201cLong at-bat with Hicks, he hit a double and that was the end of my night.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"uiTextSmall f aic jcc\">Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n<p><img alt=\"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)\" loading=\"eager\"   style=\"aspect-ratio:3 \/ 2\" class=\"x100 y100 opc bgpc ofcv bgscv block bg-black mnh0px fill\"\/><\/p>\n<p>Houston Astros&#8217; 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&#8217;Meara)<\/p>\n<p>Chris O&#8217;Meara\/Associated Press<img alt=\"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)\" loading=\"lazy\"   style=\"aspect-ratio:3 \/ 2\" class=\"x100 y100 opc bgpc ofct bgsct block bg-black mnh0px fill\"\/><\/p>\n<p>Houston Astros&#8217; 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&#8217;Meara)<\/p>\n<p>Chris O&#8217;Meara\/Associated Press<img alt=\"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)\" loading=\"lazy\"   style=\"aspect-ratio:3 \/ 2\" class=\"x100 y100 opc bgpc ofcv bgscv block bg-black mnh0px fill\"\/><\/p>\n<p>Tampa Bay Rays center fielder Cedric Mullins cen&#8217;t make the catch on a double by Houston Astros&#8217; Jose Altuve during the sixth inning of a baseball game Saturday, Sept. 12, 2026, in St. Petersburg, Fla. (AP Photo\/Chris O&#8217;Meara)<\/p>\n<p>Chris O&#8217;Meara\/Associated Press<img alt=\"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)\" loading=\"lazy\"   style=\"aspect-ratio:3 \/ 2\" class=\"x100 y100 opc bgpc ofcv bgscv block bg-black mnh0px fill\"\/><\/p>\n<p>Tampa Bay Rays&#8217; 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&#8217;Meara)<\/p>\n<p>Chris O&#8217;Meara\/Associated Press<img alt=\"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)\" loading=\"lazy\"   style=\"aspect-ratio:3 \/ 2\" class=\"x100 y100 opc bgpc ofcv bgscv block bg-black mnh0px fill\"\/><\/p>\n<p>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&#8217;Meara)<\/p>\n<p>Chris O&#8217;Meara\/Associated Press<img alt=\"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)\" loading=\"lazy\"   style=\"aspect-ratio:3 \/ 2\" class=\"x100 y100 opc bgpc ofct bgsct block bg-black mnh0px fill\"\/><\/p>\n<p>Houston Astros&#8217; 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&#8217;Meara)<\/p>\n<p>Chris O&#8217;Meara\/Associated Press<img alt=\"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)\" loading=\"lazy\"   style=\"aspect-ratio:3 \/ 2\" class=\"x100 y100 opc bgpc ofcv bgscv block bg-black mnh0px fill\"\/><\/p>\n<p>Tampa Bay Rays second baseman Richie Palacios (1) chases after an infield single by Houston Astros&#8217; 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&#8217;Meara)<\/p>\n<p>Chris O&#8217;Meara\/Associated Press<img alt=\"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)\" loading=\"lazy\"   style=\"aspect-ratio:3 \/ 2\" class=\"x100 y100 opc bgpc ofct bgsct block bg-black mnh0px fill\"\/><\/p>\n<p>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&#8217;Meara)<\/p>\n<p>Chris O&#8217;Meara\/Associated Press<img alt=\"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)\" loading=\"lazy\"   style=\"aspect-ratio:3 \/ 2\" class=\"x100 y100 opc bgpc ofcv bgscv block bg-black mnh0px fill\"\/><\/p>\n<p>Houston Astros&#8217; 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&#8217;Meara)<\/p>\n<p>Chris O&#8217;Meara\/Associated Press<img alt=\"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)\" loading=\"lazy\"   style=\"aspect-ratio:3 \/ 2\" class=\"x100 y100 opc bgpc ofcv bgscv block bg-black mnh0px fill\"\/><\/p>\n<p>Houston Astros&#8217; 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&#8217;Meara)<\/p>\n<p>Chris O&#8217;Meara\/Associated Press<img alt=\"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)\" loading=\"lazy\"   style=\"aspect-ratio:3 \/ 2\" class=\"x100 y100 opc bgpc ofct bgsct block bg-black mnh0px fill\"\/><\/p>\n<p>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&#8217;Meara)<\/p>\n<p>Chris O&#8217;Meara\/Associated Press<img alt=\"Houston Astros third baseman Isaac Paredes throws out Tampa Bay Rays' Yandy D\u00edaz at first base during the eighth inning of a baseball game Saturday, Sept. 12, 2026, in St. Petersburg, Fla. (AP Photo\/Chris O'Meara)\" loading=\"lazy\"   style=\"aspect-ratio:3 \/ 2\" class=\"x100 y100 opc bgpc ofct bgsct block bg-black mnh0px fill\"\/><\/p>\n<p>Houston Astros third baseman Isaac Paredes throws out Tampa Bay Rays&#8217; Yandy D\u00edaz at first base during the eighth inning of a baseball game Saturday, Sept. 12, 2026, in St. Petersburg, Fla. (AP Photo\/Chris O&#8217;Meara)<\/p>\n<p>Chris O&#8217;Meara\/Associated Press<img alt=\"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)\" loading=\"lazy\"   style=\"aspect-ratio:3 \/ 2\" class=\"x100 y100 opc bgpc ofcv bgscv block bg-black mnh0px fill\"\/><\/p>\n<p>Houston Astros&#8217; 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&#8217;Meara)<\/p>\n<p>Chris O&#8217;Meara\/Associated Press<\/p>\n<p>Ian Seymour shuts down\u00a0Astros<\/p>\n<p>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.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe had a tough time seeing him up, laying off the changeup,\u201d Espada said. \u201cChanged speeds well, changeup down, four-seam up. Paredes\u2019 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.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Paredes, his second batter of the game, struck a solo home run.\u00a0Altuve walked and\u00a0Diaz 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.<\/p>\n<p class=\"uiTextSmall f aic jcc\">Article continues below this ad<\/p>\n<p>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.<\/p>\n<p>The sixth proved Seymour\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHe managed his pitches well,\u201d Paredes said, through interpreter Otto Loor. \u201cHe was able to locate with all his pitches and we weren\u2019t able to adjust to it.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Isaac Paredes keeps producing<\/p>\n<p>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.<\/p>\n<p>Paredes has surpassed slumping shortstop Jeremy Pe\u00f1a in OPS-plus, for the club\u2019s 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.<\/p>\n<p>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\u2019 83 RBIs this season are his second-most after a 2023 season in which he totaled 31 homers and 98 RBIs with the Rays.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Jose Altuve and the Astros mustered just five hits in Saturday&#8217;s loss to the Rays. 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