HOUSTON, TX – May 31, 2025 – The Houston Astros endured a brutal offensive onslaught from the Tampa Bay Rays, falling 16-3 last night at Daikin Park. The Rays’ bats came alive with five home runs and 18 hits, securing a dominant win and taking a 2-1 lead in the four-game series.
Astros right-hander Colton Gordon (0-1) took the loss, giving up four runs on five hits over five innings. The Astros bullpen struggled immensely after his departure, allowing 12 more runs. For the Rays, Zack Littell (5-5) earned his first career complete game, allowing three runs on ten hits with six strikeouts.
The Astros actually started strong in the bottom of the first inning, with Jeremy Peña blasting a solo home run to left field, his eighth of the season, giving Houston an early 1-0 lead.
However, the Rays quickly erased that lead and more. In the top of the third, Yandy Díaz hit a two-run home run, and the Rays added another on an RBI groundout, making it 3-1.
The Astros briefly tied the game in the bottom of the third when Jeremy Peña hit his second home run of the game, a two-run shot to left field, his ninth of the season, tying it at 3-3.
But that was the end of the Astros’ scoring. The Rays took the lead for good in the top of the fourth with a solo home run from Junior Caminero. They extended their lead steadily, scoring in the sixth on an RBI single.
The game broke wide open in the seventh inning, where the Rays put up a six-spot, fueled by multiple extra-base hits and home runs from Jake Mangum and Josh Lowe. They added three more runs in the eighth, and two in the ninth, including a second home run by Junior Caminero in the eighth.
The Rays finished with a season-high 18 hits and their 16 runs tied a season high. Jeremy Peña’s two home runs were a bright spot for the Astros, who finished with 10 hits but couldn’t convert them into enough runs.
The tough loss dropped the Astros’ record to 31-27. They will look to salvage a series split in the final game of the series.
