Tampa Bay @ Houston preview

Last Meeting ( Aug 19, 2015 ) Tampa Bay 2, Houston 3

Carlos Correa provided another highlight in a dazzling rookie season for the Houston Astros on Wednesday with a walk-off RBI single in the 13th inning to beat the Tampa Bay Rays. The 20-year-old shortstop will attempt to add more heroics as the Astros go for the series victory over the visiting Rays in the finale on Thursday night.

Correa also belted his 15th homer in the 3-2 victory Wednesday and is 7-for-20 with four RBIs during a five-game hitting streak for Houston, which leads the American League West by 2 1/2 games over the Los Angeles Angels. Tampa Bay sends All-Star Chris Archer to the mound in search of a four-game series split and his biggest job will to contain Jose Altuve, who boasts a six-game hitting streak in which he is 13-for-30. The Rays also lost in the 10th on Tuesday and are just 2-10 in extra-inning contests. Brandon Guyer is 8-for-16 with four runs scored during a six-game hitting streak for Tampa Bay while teammate Logan Forsythe is 7-for-16 in the past four.

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

PITCHING MATCHUP: Rays RH Chris Archer (10-9, 2.93 ERA) vs. Astros RH Collin McHugh (13-6, 4.09)

Archer gave up eight runs in 5 1/3 innings last time out in a loss at Texas and has just one victory in his past nine outings, but allowed three or fewer runs in six of those. The 26-year-old, who is 7-3 in 11 road starts, walked seven combined in 11 1/3 frames over his previous two starts. Altuve is 3-for-10 versus Archer, who missed Houston last month and is 2-1 with a 1.09 ERA in four career starts against the Astros.

McHugh is 4-1 in his last six outings since losing to Tampa Bay on July 10, yielding two or fewer runs five times during that span. The 28-year-old Indiana native is 0-3 lifetime against the Rays despite posting a 3.00 ERA and 18 strikeouts in as many innings during three meetings. Desmond Jennings is 2-for-5 with a double and Guyer has homered against McHugh, who is 9-2 with a 4.48 ERA in 12 home starts.

WALK-OFFS

1. Rays LHP Xavier Cedeno has gone a club-record 15 consecutive appearances without giving up a run or issuing a walk.

2. Houston DH-OF Evan Gattis is 5-for-12 with a homer and two RBIs in the series, and boasts a .276 batting average at home as opposed to .198 on the road.

3. Tampa Bay LHP Jake McGee was sent home to get his left knee examined after tweaking it in Tuesday’s contest.

PREDICTION: Rays 3, Astros 2