The Rays didn’t just finish off the Astros on Sunday. They flattened them, rolling to a 14-4 win that completed the sweep and kept them firmly in control of the AL East with a four-game lead heading into Monday’s off day.
Freddy Peralta set the tone early, even if this outing didn’t quite match his recent stretch of sharper work. He still carved through five no-hit innings, striking out four and walking three before the game was out of reach. With the Rays sitting on an 11-0 cushion and Peralta already at 86 pitches, the moment was there to hand the ball to Brody Hopkins for his MLB debut.
Hopkins arrived with the kind of stuff that turns heads right away. His fastball and curveball were electric, and he picked up his first big league strikeout by getting Yainer Diaz swinging. The only damage against him came on a two-run homer from Isaac Paredes, an old friend who managed to spoil the party a bit.
The lineup did plenty of damage around that. Jonathan Aranda reached the 20-homer mark for the first time in his career, a notable milestone for a hitter who has been quietly piling up production. Since the start of the 2025 season, he ranks seventh among all first basemen in wRC+ at 132.
Richie Palacios kept his hot stretch going, finishing 2-for-4 with a three-run homer. If that kind of production carries into October, it could give this lineup a much deeper look.
Victor Mesa Jr. was even louder, going 3-for-5 and finishing a homer shy of the cycle. He has been one of the most surprising stories on the roster, and he’s been arguably the best hitter in baseball in September.
Nick Fortes also joined the barrage with his fifth home run of the year.
Now the Rays turn the page to Tuesday, when they open a homestand against the Athletics. Griffin Jax is likely to get the ball in the series opener.
In Other News...
Chandler Simpson Is Giving The Rays A Rare Late-Season Story
Chandler Simpson keeps supplying the Rays with one of the few late-season bright spots worth circling, and his latest milestone came in familiar surroundings. During a game against the Braves at Truist Park, the speedster swiped his 40th base of the year, extending a remarkable stretch that has turned him into one of baseballs most consistent threats on the bases.
The accomplishment also underscored just how unusual Simpsons start to his big-league career has been. He has now put together back-to-back seasons with 40 or more stolen bases, and he talked about what it meant to do it in Atlanta in front of friends and family. For a Rays club looking for energy and identity down the stretch, Simpsons game has become a reminder that even in a long season, there can still be something fresh to watch. [Read more 🡒]
Rays Just Reached A Milestone Fans Will Love After Sweeping Houston
The Rays kept rolling at Tropicana Field with a 14-4 rout of the Astros, piling up 15 hits in a performance that looked every bit like a team hitting its stride in September. Jonathan Aranda drove the offense with two home runs, and Freddy Peralta set the tone on the mound with five scoreless innings as Tampa Bay moved to 90-59 and kept building momentum in the final stretch.
The bigger takeaway for the Rays is what came with the sweep. It was their 15th of the season, a new franchise mark, and another sign of how consistently this club has been able to close out series when it gets on a run. For a team that has spent much of the year looking like a threat in every phase, this latest milestone only adds to the sense that Tampa Bay is piling up reasons for optimism at exactly the right time. [Read more 🡒]