Nick Fortes did the heavy lifting and the Rays kept the roll going.
Tampa Bay beat the Astros 3-1 on a night that pushed the Rays to nine straight wins, and they did it in a game that moved fast - just 2 hours and 21 minutes. The two teams barely gave anyone room to breathe, with only 10 hitters reaching base, but the Rays found enough offense to back up a strong night from their pitching staff.
Fortes set the tone early by driving in the game’s first run with a home run off Spencer Arrighetti, breaking up what had been an excellent outing. He wasn’t done there. In the 8th, Fortes came back up and got one of the high fastballs he likes to attack, then sent it high off the left centerfield wall.
Junior Caminero also chipped in with a solo home run, giving Tampa Bay the kind of timely power that made the difference in a tight game.
Nick Martinez handled the bulk of the work on the mound for the Rays, going 5.1 innings and allowing only one mistake that mattered: a homer to Yordan Alvarez over the right centerfield fence. Martinez had been flirting with home runs in his last few outings, and Alvarez made him pay on a pitch that was crushed.
After Martinez exited at 85 pitches, Kevin Kelly, Casey Legumina, and Bryan Baker finished the job without allowing a baserunner over the final 11 outs. Kelly picked up his fifth win of the season, and Baker locked down his 23rd save with a 1-2-3 ninth.
The Rays will try to make it 10 in a row next, with Drew Rasmussen and Hunter Brown set to start the matchup.
In Other News...
Rays Fans Have Every Right To Be Furious Over Yandy Daz Respect
Yandy Daz has spent the last several seasons doing exactly what the Rays ask of their best hitters, showing up every day and producing with a level of consistency that has made him one of the most reliable bats in the sport. Since 2022, he has been one of Major League Baseballs most effective hitters, and this season he has kept right on rolling, sitting atop the American League batting race while continuing to rank among the leagues most productive overall hitters.
Even with that kind of track record, Daz still does not seem to get the national respect his game deserves, which is why the latest All-Star voting outcome landed with a thud around Tampa Bay. Inside the clubhouse, the appreciation is far clearer, with teammates and coaches repeatedly pointing to his pure hitting ability and steady approach, the kind of praise that says as much about his value as any award ballot ever could. [Read more 🡒]
National Spotlight Is Suddenly Closing In On Multiple Rays Stars
The Rays have spent plenty of this season living in the margins of the national conversation, but a few of their best players are starting to force their way into it. Drew Rasmussen has quietly built a case as one of the American Leagues most impressive arms, Nick Martinez has put himself in position to earn his first All-Star nod, and Junior Caminero has kept his name in the mix as one of the leagues most electric young hitters.
Camineros path is the most ambitious of the three, because the top of the AL MVP race is crowded and unforgiving, but the fact that he is even being discussed in that company says plenty about how far he has come. Rasmussens profile is more understated, Martinezs more dependent on recognition than flash, and both could still end up as the kind of Rays stories that catch the wider baseball world by surprise if the rest of the season breaks their way. [Read more 🡒]
Rays Keep Rolling With 8th Straight Win And Another Sweep
The Rays kept their momentum rolling with another clean series finish, completing a three-game sweep of the Royals to stretch their winning streak to eight. Ian Seymour set the tone with six steady innings, and Tampa Bay got enough offense to stay in control while continuing to separate itself in the AL East.
Cedric Mullins supplied the biggest swing, and the Rays also flashed the kind of defense that has helped fuel this run. With the club now at 51-33 and sitting four games up in the division, the bigger question is how long this pace can hold as the schedule keeps moving and the pressure starts to build. [Read more 🡒]