Houston @ Tampa Bay preview
George M. Steinbrenner Field
Last Meeting ( Aug 14, 2024 ) Houston 2, Tampa Bay 1
After a sluggish start through 46 games, the Tampa Bay Rays will act fast to change their direction when they host the Houston Astros on Monday night to open a nine-game homestand.
Fast might be the key word here, especially after losing two of three to the National League East's last-place Miami Marlins over the weekend.
The American League East's fourth-place club at four games under .500, the Rays and their frequently hibernating offense have received a spark from speedy center fielder Chandler Simpson.
Simpson, 24, has injected life into the Rays' lineup, which is tied for 11th in the AL in runs scored with 179 (3.89 per game) and tied for seventh in batting average (.242).
However, boosted by the blazing footwork of Simpson (9-for-11 in attempted steals) and Jose Caballero (team-high 12-for-16), the club leads the AL with 57 stolen bases with 12 times caught stealing.
In the minors over the past two seasons, Simpson swiped 198 bases, including 104 between High-A Bowling Green and Double-A Montgomery.
"We've seen it the couple weeks that he's been here," Rays manager Kevin Cash said of Simpson, hitting .301 from the leadoff spot. "It's a game-changing element."
To open the first of seven matchups with the Astros, three in Tampa and four in Houston at the end of May, Tampa Bay will opt for right-hander Ryan Pepiot (2-5, 3.93) in his 10th start this season and first ever against Houston.
In a trio of May outings against the New York Yankees, Philadelphia Phillies and Toronto Blue Jays, Pepiot allowed six runs and 13 hits in 16 1/3 innings for a 3.31 ERA with 11 strikeouts and five walks.
Pepiot, 27, has lowered his season ERA from 4.24 through his first six starts in March and April.
Starting the back portion of its seven-game road trip by splitting four matchups against the rival Texas Rangers, Houston will look to add on to its strong record versus the Rays over the past four seasons.
Since the COVID-affected 2020 campaign, the AL West squad is 16-8 against the Rays. Tampa Bay is a dismal 11-17 at its home park in the New York Yankees' spring training complex. The Astros have a current three-game winning streak against the Rays.
The tension of three days and seeing his club being no-hit at the time by the Rangers' Jack Leiter boiled over for Houston manager Joe Espada in the third inning of Sunday's series finale. Espada argued a called-strike against Isaac Paredes that was clearly below the zone.
That led to Espada's first ejection of 2025 and sixth of his career, and Houston soon trailed 3-0.
However, Yainer Diaz's solo home run broke up Leiter's no-hit bit with two outs in the seventh, and the Astros won 4-3 on Paredes' three-run homer to even their May mark at 8-8.
"I always worry about winning, winning and winning," Paredes said through a translator. "I always want to be as productive as I can to help the team win."
A native of St. Petersburg, Fla., rookie left-hander Colton Gordon (0-0, 6.23) will make his second career start after surrendering three runs and seven hits in 4 1/3 innings in a 4-3 Houston victory over Kansas City on Wednesday.
A 2021 eighth-round draft pick from the University of Central Florida, Gordon pitched in the World Baseball Classic for Team Israel in 2023.
--Field Level Media