Tampa Bay Rays vs Houston Astros Match Player Stats On Aug 03, 2017

The Sports Xchange
Aug 4, 2017

HOUSTON -- Steven Souza Jr. homered and delivered a go-ahead two-run double as the Tampa Bay Rays rallied for a 5-3 victory and series win over the Houston Astros on Thursday night at Minute Maid Park.

Souza, hampered by a left foot contusion, clubbed his 23rd home run and limped noticeably around the bases one plate appearance before his two-out double to left field off Astros All-Star reliever Chris Devenski snapped a 3-3 tie and scored Lucas Duda and Evan Longoria.

The Rays (57-53) initiated their rally off Astros left-hander Francisco Liriano (6-6), who failed to retire either of the two left-handed hitters he faced -- Corey Dickerson (3-for-5) and Duda.

Longoria reached on a fielding error by Houston shortstop Alex Bregman, the third error of the game for the Astros (69-39), to set up Souza's two-base hit.

Houston matched its season-long losing streak at three games and has lost six of its last eight.

After surrendering 14 runs in the opener, Tampa Bay won the last three games of the series. Right-hander Brad Boxberger (3-3) earned the win in relief.

The Astros spotted right-hander Collin McHugh a 3-1 lead courtesy of an RBI double from Yuli Gurriel that scored Bregman in the first inning, a solo home run by Jose Altuve in the third and a Bregman run-scoring single that plated Jake Marisnick in the fifth.

All three runs were charged to Rays left-hander Blake Snell, who allowed seven hits and struck out five in four innings.

After throwing 77 pitches in his first start of the season July 22 and 82 seven days later, McHugh extended his pitch count to 101 while completing six solid innings.

McHugh posted only one clean inning, the fourth while facing the bottom of the order, but worked around runners in scoring position in the first, third and fifth innings to produce scoreless frames each time.

The Rays struck for solo runs in the second and sixth, with Dickerson delivering a two-out RBI single in the second to score Brad Miller and tie the game at 1-1.

Souza lined a leadoff homer down the left-field line in the sixth to cut the deficit to 3-2 after falling behind 0-2 in the count.

NOTES: Astros OF George Springer continues to show improvement regarding the left quad discomfort that landed him on the 10-day disabled list July 25. However, Astros manager A.J. Hinch announced that Springer will not be activated from the DL on Friday, the first day he is eligible for reinstatement. ... Rays RF Steven Souza Jr. was back in the starting lineup after missing two games. After undergoing an X-ray Monday night, Souza had additional tests on the foot Wednesday. His condition improved and he was cleared to play. ... Rays RHP Jake Odorizzi will make a rehab start Friday for High-A Charlotte in Dunedin. He is scheduled to pitch three of four innings. Odorizzi was placed on the 10-day disabled list July 26 with a lower back strain.