Tampa Bay @ Houston preview

Last Meeting ( Aug 18, 2015 ) Tampa Bay 2, Houston 3

The Houston Astros continue to perform like a playoff team, notching a 32nd come-from-behind victory and 12th triumph in their final at-bat Tuesday. Houston looks to build off those heroics when they send All-Star left-hander Dallas Keuchel to the mound against the visiting Tampa Bay Rays on Wednesday in the third contest of a four-game set.

The American League West-leading Astros tied the game in the eighth and got a walk-off homer in the 10th from red-hot Marwin Gonzalez for a 3-2 victory Tuesday. Gonzalez has seven hits in 13 at-bats with five RBIs in his last five games and leadoff hitter Jose Altuve is 20-for-48 over the last 11 contests for Houston. Keuchel is 0-3 with a 5.40 ERA in four starts against Tampa Bay, which has dropped four of the first five on its road trip. The Rays had their streak of five straight games with at least 10 hits snapped Tuesday, but Evan Longoria had two of their nine and is 5-for-10 in the series.

TV: 8:10 p.m. ET, Sun Sports (Tampa Bay), ROOT (Houston)

PITCHING MATCHUP: Rays RH Nathan Karns (7-5, 3.53 ERA) vs. Astros LH Dallas Keuchel (14-6, 2.36)

Karns allowed two runs and two hits with a season-high five walks over 4 2/3 innings without being involved in the decision of a 5-3 loss at Texas last time out. The 27-year-old Texas Tech product has limited opponents to two or fewer runs in 17 of his 23 starts, but averages only 5 2/3 innings per outing. Karns, who faces Houston for the first time in his career, boasts 125 strikeouts in 130 innings.

Keuchel has alternated wins and losses over his last seven starts after holding Detroit to one run over seven innings last Friday in a 5-1 triumph. The 27-year-old Oklahoma native gave up three runs and seven hits in seven innings to suffer the loss at Tampa Bay on July 11. Brandon Guyer is 3-for-6 against Keuchel.

WALK-OFFS

1. The Astros lead the AL with 90 stolen bases and the Rays have thrown out 33 trying to steal - near the top in the majors.

2. Tampa Bay SS Asdrubal Cabrera has hit safely in seven straight games and is 32-for-69 since coming off the disabled list late last month.

3. Houston’s rookie SS Carlos Correa has been on base 12 times in the last six games – four of them victories for the Astros.

PREDICTION: Astros 4, Rays 3