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 Shortstop Carlos Correa slapped a two-out single the opposite way to
right field in the bottom of the 13th inning, lifting the Astros to
their second to a 3-2 win over the Tampa Bay Rays on Wednesday night
at Minute Maid Park.
Houston recorded its consecutive walk-off victory over Tampa Bay.
Correa drove home center fielder Colby Rasmus, who worked a one-out
walk off Rays right-hander Matt Andriese (3-3) and advanced to third
when Jose Altuve singled through the hole vacated by Rays shortstop
Tim Beckham as he dashed to cover second base on a hit-and-run.
"It's really big," Correa said of the walk-off wins. "It gives us a
lot of confidence, especially late in the game. We're playing good
defense, the pitching, the bullpen is doing a great job, and we're
coming up with clutch hits. So it's really important for the team to
play late in the game like that because I bet that's how it's going
to be in the postseason."
Andriese said of his final pitch, "Cutter away. You don't want to
give (Correa) something good to hit. Base open and just threw him a
pitch that he'll maybe pop up or hit a ground ball. Ground ball
found a hole."
The Astros (66-55) claimed their third walk-off win in four games,
with Altuve doing the honors in the ninth inning Sunday against the
Detroit Tigers and Marwin Gonzalez drilling a leadoff homer in the
10th inning Tuesday night.
Houston right-hander Josh Fields (4-1) earned the victory by
striking out both batters he faced in the top of the 13th, capping a
stellar effort by a relief corps that allowed three baserunners over
six shutout innings.
"It's been everybody out there picking everybody else up," said
Fields, who celebrated his 30th birthday Wednesday. "And that's
what's been pretty cool about this bullpen, it's not just a couple
of people that are picking guys up and carrying the weight but
everybody's picking everybody else up at different times throughout
the year. It's been pretty cool to see, and hopefully we can keep it
going."
One night after blowing a lead in the late stages, the Rays (59-61)
did so again. Closer Brad Boxberger, who surrendered the walk-off
homer to Gonzalez, was presented a 2-1 lead but opened the ninth by
allowing a bloop double to Jed Lowrie. The Astros third baseman
scored the tying run when designated hitter Evan Gattis dribbled a
single to left.
That rally got left-hander Dallas Keuchel off the hook. Keuchel, who
allowed two runs on seven hits and one walk with five strikeouts in
seven innings, was in line to take his first home loss in 13
decisions. Instead, his opportunity to match the franchise mark of
13 consecutive home wins set by right-hander Danny Darwin (1989-90)
remains intact.
Keuchel faced just one batter over the minimum between the second
and sixth innings yet carried a tenuous 1-0 lead into the seventh.
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In the seventh, momentum swung thanks in large part to a fan down
the first base line who interfered with a potential out. Astros
first baseman Luis Valbuena tracked down a popup from Rays second
baseman Logan Forsythe leading off the frame, but he failed to make
the catch when he extended his glove into the stands and grazed the
fan.
Forsythe subsequently singled. Two batters later, Beckham lined a
triple to right-center field, scoring the tying run. First baseman
James Loney followed with a sacrifice fly, knocking in Beckham for a
2-1 lead.
The Rays were in position to steal the lead thanks to the splendid
pitching of rookie right-hander Nathan Karns, who surrendered a solo
homer to Correa in the first inning and shackled the Astros
thereafter in his six-inning outing.
"Karnsy was outstanding," Rays manager Kevin Cash said. "Their guy
(Keuchel) was obviously very tough as advertised. Can't say enough
about what Nate Karns did to bounce back and give us what he gave."
Karns allowed one run on six hits and one walk with eight
strikeouts. However, like Rays starter Jake Odorizzi on Tuesday, his
excellence yielded a no-decision.
NOTES: Rays LHP Jake McGee went to Florida on Wednesday for an
examination of his left knee, which he tweaked Tuesday night. McGee
worked a season-long 1 2/3 innings and threw a season-high 33
pitches in a blown save. He surrendered one run, three hits and two
walks. ... Astros RHP Lance McCullers (5-4, 3.17 ERA) will start the
series finale against the Los Angeles Dodgers on Sunday after
getting five strikeouts in three innings for Double-A Corpus Christi
on Tuesday night. He allowed just one hit in his first appearance
since being optioned Aug. 3 for rest. ... The Rays optioned rookie
LHP Enny Romero to Triple-A Durham and recalled rookie RHP Matt
Andriese. Romero and Andriese shuttled back and forth from Durham a
combined nine times this season, with Andriese starting his fifth
tour.
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