Astros ride 6-game win streak into matchup with Rays
Tampa Bay Rays (76-58, second in the AL East) vs. Houston Astros (87-47, first in the AL West)
Houston; Thursday, 2 p.m. EDT
PITCHING PROBABLES: Rays: Andrew Kittredge (1-0, 4.37 ERA) Astros: Zack Greinke (14-4, 2.83 ERA)
BOTTOM LINE: Houston enters the game as winners of their last six games.
The Astros are 51-16 on their home turf. Houston has hit 226 home runs this season, fourth in the majors. Alex Bregman leads the club with 32, averaging one every 14.4 at-bats.
The Rays have gone 42-27 away from home. The Tampa Bay pitching staff as a whole has an ERA of 3.71. Charlie Morton leads the team with a 3.11 earned run average. The Astros won the last meeting 8-6. Will Harris earned his fourth victory and Yuli Gurriel went 1-for-3 with a home run and two RBIs for Houston. Diego Castillo took his eighth loss for Tampa Bay.
TOP PERFORMERS: Gurriel leads the Astros with 65 extra base hits and is batting .304. Bregman is 18-for-40 with five doubles, three home runs and 11 RBIs over the last 10 games for Houston.
Austin Meadows leads the Rays with 52 extra base hits and is slugging .521. Kevin Kiermaier is 6-for-27 with two doubles, a home run and seven RBIs over the last 10 games for Tampa Bay.
LAST 10 GAMES: Astros: 9-1, .300 batting average, 2.70 ERA, outscored opponents by 38 runs
Rays: 4-6, .237 batting average, 5.97 ERA, outscored by 25 runs
Astros Injuries: Aaron Sanchez: (pectoral), Ryan Pressly: (knee), Brad Peacock: (shoulder), Lance McCullers Jr.: (elbow), Josh James: (shoulder), Carlos Correa: (back).
Rays Injuries: Blake Snell: (elbow), Tyler Glasnow: (forearm), Yonny Chirinos: (finger), Jose Alvarado: (elbow), Kevin Kiermaier: (undisclosed), Brandon Lowe: (leg), Yandy Diaz: (foot).
