Overview
- The Tampa Bay Rays completed a three-game sweep of the Houston Astros with a 14-4 win on Sunday at Tropicana Field that featured a four-run third inning and a three-run homer by Richie Palacios.
- A two-out dropped popup by shortstop Jeremy Peña extended the third inning and directly set up the Rays’ big rally that turned the game decisively in Tampa Bay’s favor.
- The loss dropped Houston to 75-75 and cut its lead over the Texas Rangers to one game, continuing a slide in which the Astros lost six of eight games.
- Yordan Alvarez returned after missing two games with a sore ankle but was limited to a 0-for-1 appearance with a walk before manager Joe Espada emptied the bench.
- Despite the sweep, projection models still favor Houston to win the AL West and reach the playoffs and the Astros head home for their final homestand with an easier closing schedule and the tiebreaker over Texas.