Tampa Bay @ Houston preview

Last Meeting ( Aug 27, 2016 ) Tampa Bay 2, Houston 6

Alex Bregman produced a total of two hits in his first 10 major league games after being recalled in late July, but the former No. 2 pick overall has been a force for the Houston Astros ever since. The 22-year-old rookie is batting .326 with 17 RBIs in his last 20 games and looks to remain hot as the Astros go for a three-game sweep of the visiting Tampa Bay Rays on Sunday.

Bregman belted his fifth homer in Saturday’s 6-2 victory as Houston improved to 7-1 in its last eight contests to pull within two games of the American League’s second wild card spot. Veteran Doug Fister goes to the mound for the Astros against Tampa Bay’s Chris Archer, who is just 7-17 this season but spun a one-hit shutout in his last appearance in Houston. The Rays came to Houston after winning three straight series – the last two against teams currently in playoff position (Texas and Boston). Corey Dickerson is 4-for-8 with three runs scored in the series for Tampa Bay, which resides in the AL East cellar.

TV: 2:10 p.m. ET, FSN Sun (Tampa Bay), ROOT (Houston)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Rays RH Chris Archer (7-17, 4.11 ERA) vs. Astros RH Doug Fister (12-8, 3.59)

Archer leads the majors in losses after giving up two runs (one earned) over five hard-fought innings of a 2-1 defeat against Boston on Tuesday. The North Carolina native is 3-5 with a 2.94 ERA since the All-Star break and leads the AL in strikeouts with 192 – his second most in five seasons. Marwin Gonzalez is 4-for-8 versus Archer, who lost to the Astros on June 11 but owns a 3-2 record and 1.31 ERA against them in six starts.

Fister comes in off his best start of the season when he limited Pittsburgh to three hits over seven scoreless innings with six strikeouts and one walk. The 32-year-old recorded only three of his 12 victories at home, but has been sharp in August overall with a 2-1 mark and 3.00 ERA. Logan Forsythe is 2-for-3 with a double versus Fister, who missed the Rays earlier this season but is 2-4 with a 3.63 ERA against them in his career.

WALK-OFFS

1. Tampa Bay INF Tim Beckham (hamstring) returned Saturday after missing three contests and extended his hitting streak to seven games (10-for-24).

2. Houston 2B Jose Altuve is one away from his 200th career double and has the most two-base hits in the majors over the last three seasons (124).

3. The Rays optioned OF Mikie Mahtook (4-for-8 in his last three games) to Triple-A Durham after Saturday’s game and recalled RHP Steve Geltz.

PREDICTION: Rays 5, Astros 3