Houston Astros swept in Tampa Bay ahead of final two weeks of regular season and AL West in doubt

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – Jeremy Peña drifted under the pop-up and put his glove by his left ear for a catch the sure-handed shortstop will almost always finish. Third baseman Isaac Paredes had already turned for the dugout when the ball glanced off Peña’s glove and dropped on the outfield turf.

After two taut games between American League division leaders, an error triggered an onslaught. A run scored on what should have been the final out of the third inning. Richie Palacios parked the next pitch from Hayden Wesneski in the right-field seats to accelerate a rout at Tropicana Field.

The Houston Astros lost 14-4 and were swept in a three-game series by the Rays, who own the best record in the American League. They fell back to .500 with Sunday’s dismantling at 75-75, their AL West lead down to 1½ games over the Rangers, pending Texas’ result, with 12 games left in their season.

Houston holds itself as a contender. In a matchup with the AL’s first playoff entrant, it did not strengthen its case. Its lineup looked punchless. The Astros totaled seven runs in three games, albeit missing Yordan Alvarez for the first two. With Alvarez back Sunday, they went hitless until the sixth inning.

Pitching kept them close Friday and Saturday. It could not replicate that in the finale. Wesneski, who has pitched well since returning from elbow surgery, allowed three runs in the first inning and four unearned in the third, three scoring on Palacios’ home run. The Rays added seven runs off relievers.

Manager Joe Espada began to empty his bench in the sixth inning, removing Peña and Alvarez for pinch-hitters and first baseman Christian Walker and center fielder Daulton Varsho on defense. Additional rest for regulars before a team off-day Monday served as a flimsy silver lining.

Others: Isaac Paredes drilled a two-run home run in the sixth off Brady Hopkins, a right-hander making his MLB debut, to end the Rays’ budding no-hit bid. Ronel Blanco worked the final 4⅓ innings for the Astros to preserve the rest of a beleaguered bullpen.

Nick Fortes and Jonathan Aranda each hit two-run home runs against Blanco, two of the Rays’ four home runs on the day. Aranda hit another two-run homer against Enyel De Los Santos. Tampa Bay amassed 15 hits. Houston has allowed more in just two games this season.

The Astros mustered four hits. Three were home runs – Paredes’ two-run shot and solo homers by Nick Allen and Nelson Velázquez with the game well out of reach.

Houston’s season is down to two weeks and 12 games. It left Tropicana Field facing the possibility of its division lead dwindling to one game. Recent series wins against the Yankees, White Sox and Phillies, all contending teams, bolstered the idea that the Astros belong among them. They will need to play better than on this weekend at Tropicana Field to realize it.

Short outing for Hayden Wesneski

Sunday marked Wesneski’s second start on four days’ rest since returning from elbow surgery. In those two starts, he has totaled seven innings and allowed 12 runs (eight earned). In his seven other starts on five or more days’ rest, he has allowed 12 runs in 41 2/3 innings.

Such a small sample may not carry much weight. Wesneski’s velocity was down a tick Sunday, however. His four-seam fastball averaged 92 mph, compared to a 93.6 mph average in his previous starts. He did not generate many whiffs and the Rays jumped on him early.

Three of Wesneski’s first four batters struck hits. Victor Mesa Jr. lined a two-run triple and scored on a groundout by Chandler Simpson. Wesneski worked a scoreless second inning but issued a leadoff walk and a one-out single in the third. He still could have escaped unscathed but for Peña’s error.

Down by seven, the Astros did not send Wesneski back out for the fourth. He threw 62 pitches. Four of seven runs he allowed were unearned. He owns a 3.70 ERA in nine starts.

Peralta, acquired by the Rays from the Mets at the trade deadline, is finding a stride before the playoffs. The right-hander entered with two runs allowed in 18 innings over his previous three starts. The Astros did not muster a hit in his five innings Sunday.

They struggled to time Peralta up or produce any hard contact against his mostly fastball-changeup mix. Eleven balls put into play against Peralta averaged an 81.8 mph exit velocity. Just one left a bat above 95 mph, the Statcast hard-hit threshold.

Peralta retired his first six batters. He issued all three of his walks in the third inning, loading the bases with two outs. Paredes grounded out to strand them. Tampa Bay warmed a reliever as Peralta reached 30 pitches in the inning. He still worked two more frames.

No Astro reached base during them. With a comfortable lead, the Rays removed Peralta after the fifth and 86 pitches.

Yordan Alvarez returns

Alvarez returned to the lineup but had little occasion to test the right ankle that he turned running the bases Thursday in Philadelphia.

Alvarez took two plate appearances, striking out and drawing a walk against Peralta, before being lifted for pinch-hitter Nelson Velázquez in the sixth. The five swings he took produced foul balls or swing-and-misses.

Entering the day, Alvarez was first in the American League in batting average (.310) and second in home runs (38) and RBIs (96), retaining a shot at a Triple Crown. He trailed Junior Caminero in home runs (40) and Pete Alonso in RBIs (99).

Up next

The Astros are off Monday before starting their final homestand of the regular season, featuring series against the Kansas City Royals and Atlanta Braves.

Hunter Brown and Cristian Javier are slated to start the first two games against the Royals for Houston, which has not announced a starter for the finale. Ethan Pecko would be on turn to pitch; Houston used an opener ahead of Pecko in this weekend’s series against the Rays.

The Royals are scheduled to start right-hander Michael Wacha, left-hander Daniel Lynch IV and righty Seth Lugo in the series. The Astros won two of three games in a mid-June series in Kansas City against the Royals, who are in last place in the AL Central.

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This article originally published at Houston Astros swept in Tampa Bay ahead of final two weeks of regular season and AL West in doubt.

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