Astros overcome three homers to beat Rays
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- Carlos Beltran hit a home run for the second day in a row as the Houston Astros pulled away to a 6-3 win over the Tampa Bay Rays on Friday night at Tropicana Field.
Houston (12-5) gave up solo home runs in each of the first three innings, but shut out the Rays (9-9) the rest of the way, getting four scoreless innings from its bullpen. The Astros had dropped seven of their last eight games in St. Petersburg entering Friday's contest, while the Rays had won six straight at home, their longest streak in nearly two years.
Tied 3-3 in the seventh, the Astros got to Rays starter Alex Cobb (1-2), loading the bases on a single by Brian McCann, a double by Yuli Gurriel that was just out of the reach of left fielder Shane Peterson and a walk to Nori Aoki. Reliever Jumbo Diaz came in and got a ground ball from George Springer, but third baseman Evan Longoria bobbled the ball as he went to throw home and had to settle for the out at third, giving the Astros a 4-3 lead. Diaz got the last two outs to limit the damage.
Reliever Michael Feliz (1-0) pitched a perfect sixth to pick up the win for Houston, with Will Harris and Luke Gregerson adding scoreless innings. Closer Ken Giles pitched a perfect ninth for his fourth save of the season.
Houston added two runs in the ninth off reliever Danny Farquhar, as McCann bunted for a single, again advanced on Gurriel's double and scored on a sacrifice fly by Josh Reddick. Gurriel then scored on a wild pitch.
The Rays led 3-1 early after three solo home runs, but Houston tied the score with two runs in the fourth against Cobb.
Tampa Bay's Corey Dickerson crushed a leadoff home run down the right-field line -- his fourth home run of the season and second leading off a game -- for a 1-0 lead in the first against Houston starter Mike Fiers.
Houston answered with Beltran leading off the second with a home run to tie the score 1-1. Rays outfielder Kevin Kiermaier made a leaping grab in right-center field to rob McCann of a home run and keep the score tied.
The Rays got a solo home run from Logan Morrison -- his fourth homer of the year -- in the second, then another solo home run in the third from Longoria (his third) for a 3-1 lead.
Houston tied the score in the fourth on four straight singles -- Beltran, Alex Bregman, an RBI single from McCann and an RBI single from Gurriel to tie the score at 3.
Fiers left after five innings with the score tied, having given up the three solo home runs among seven hits, walking one and striking out four.
Cobb had the rare honor of picking off the same runner in back-to-back innings. Jose Altuve reached on an error in the fourth and singled in the fifth, and both times Cobb picked him off first base.
NOTES: Rays OF Kevin Kiermaier, who made a tremendous leaping catch at the wall to rob a home run in the second inning, left the game after the fifth inning with a stomach illness. Peter Bourjos replaced him. Kiermaier had been on a tear, with 11 hits in his last 23 at-bats... Friday's game opened the season's "Juice Box Series" between the two teams, with three games at Tropicana Field and four from July 31-August 3 at Minute Maid Park in Houston. ... Rays OF Colby Rasmus, who has yet to play this season as he recovers from hip surgery, will begin a rehab assignment Saturday at Double-A Montgomery. He played one game in a previous rehab assignment but was involved in an outfield collision. ... OF Mallex Smith, one of nine Rays players on the disabled list, will be re-evaluated after a full workout at Tropicana Field on Friday. He went on the 10-day DL April 14 with a right hamstring strain.