Astros 3, Rays 2 (10 innings)
HOUSTON -- First baseman Marwin Gonzalez opened the bottom of the 10th inning with a walk-off home run, giving the Houston Astros their second walk-off win in three games and a 3-2 victory over the Tampa Bay Rays on Tuesday night at Minute Maid Park.
Gonzalez, who finished 3-for-4, drilled a 3-2 pitch from Rays closer Brad Boxberger (4-9) into the right-field seats to pull the Astros (65-55) even in this four-game series. Houston scored twice off the Rays (59-60) bullpen after scuffling mightily against right-hander Jake Odorizzi.
Astros right-hander Luke Gregerson (6-2) worked two perfect innings of relief to pick up the win. He followed right-hander Will Harris, whose perfect eighth inning set the tone for the Houston bullpen.
Astros shortstop Carlos Correa, whose rough night at the plate almost played a secondary role following his scary collision with center fielder Carlos Gomez in the top of the seventh, delivered an RBI double to left field in the bottom of the eight, scoring Jose Altuve and pulling the Astros even at 2-2. Altuve opened the inning with a single off Rays left-hander Jake McGee, the first of three consecutive batters to reach base.
For Odorizzi, his performance against Houston was no surprise. In two previous starts, he worked 13 scoreless innings against the Astros, and despite allowing the leadoff batter to reach in the first and second innings, Odorizzi didn't hit a rough patch until the third.
With one out, Odorizzi allowed three successive hits, including an RBI double by Gonzalez that plated catcher Jason Castro and advanced second baseman Jose Altuve to third base. But Odorizzi recovered with a pair of crucial strikeouts of Carlos Correa and Jed Lowrie, limiting the damage to one run and setting up a Rays comeback.
Tampa Bay catcher Curt Casali ended the shutout bid of Astros right-hander Scott Feldman with one out in the fifth, crushing an 0-2 pitch out to left field and pulling the Rays even at 1-1. Feldman used guile to negotiate trouble in the first, second and sixth innings but cracked in the seventh.
Having loaded the bases with one out, Feldman surrendered a fielder's choice RBI grounder to Rays third baseman Evan Longoria, giving Tampa Bay a 2-1 lead and putting Odorizzi a chance to earn the victory.
After his scare in the third inning, Odorizzi struck out the side in the fourth and added two strikeouts in the fifth. With Astros center fielder Carlos Gomez in scoring position in the sixth, Odorizzi fanned Colby Rasmus for a third time in as many at-bats to snuff that modest threat.
Odorizzi closed his night with nine strikeouts against one walk, allowing one run on six hits over six innings.
NOTES: Rookie RHP Lance McCullers made his first start with Double-A Corpus Christi since being optioned on Aug. 3 for rest. McCullers went 5-4 with a 3.17 ERA over 14 starts with the Astros but was 1-1 with a 6.57 ERA over three starts following the All-Star break. He entered Tuesday having pitched a career-high 105 2/3 innings this season. ... Rays LF Desmond Jennings was given the day off after playing four consecutive games following a 96-game stint on the 60-day disabled list (left knee bursitis). Jennings is batting .400 (6-for-15) since his reinstatement. ... Rookie RHP Vince Velasquez will likely be recalled in September and will work out of the bullpen, Astros manager A.J. Hinch announced. Velasquez (1-1, 3.67 ERA with the Astros) made nine appearances (seven starts) before being optioned to Double-A Corpus Christi on Aug. 1.