TONIGHT’S GAME: The Houston Astros (75-73) and Tampa Bay Rays (88-59) play the 2nd game of this 3-game set tonight at Tropicana Field.
RHP Peter Lambert (8-8, 3.67 ERA) will start for the Astros as he takes on Rays LHP Ian Seymour (9-6, 4.33 ERA). Tonight will be Lambert’s 4th career app. vs. TB and his 2nd career start/app. at Tropicana Field.
ASTROS-RAYS: The Astros are 2-2 vs. TB thus far this season. HOU took 2 out of 3 games from the Rays when they met at Daikin Park earlier this season, July
3-5.
Astros-Rays History: The Astros are 45-50 all-time vs. TB in the regular season.
Postseason: The two clubs have met twice in the postseason, with the Astros defeating TB in the 2019 ALDS, 3-2, and the Rays topping the Astros in the 2020 ALCS, 4-3.
THE LAMBO: RHP Peter Lambert is making his club-leading 26th start of the season tonight. In his last start on Sunday vs. ARI, Lambert pitched 7.0 strong innings (3 ER) but took the loss in a 3-2 defeat.
Vs. The Rays: In 3 career app. (2 GS) vs. TB, Lambert is 1-0 with a 1.42 ERA (2ER/12.2IP). Lambert defeated the Rays on July 5 of this season at Daikin Park, hurling 5.2 scoreless innings in a 2-0 Astros victory.
At The Trop: Tonight will be Lambert’s 2nd career start/app. at Tropicana Field. His other was on Aug. 24, 2023 while with COL (5.0 IP, 2 ER, ND in 5-3 loss).
100 CLUB: Tonight will be Lambert’s 100th career ML appearance and 61st ML start.
CAM CAN: Cam Smith is 6×14 (.429) on the current road trip with 3 HR and 4 RBI. He homered in all 3 games at PHI on the 1st stop of the trip. Smith is hitting .290 (9×31) in Sept. with a .998 OPS.
ROAD WARRIORS: Tonight is the 5th game (2-2 thus far) of a 6-game road trip for the Astros. Since going 1-9 on the first road trip of the 2026 season, the Astros have gone 37-26 (.587) on the road since April 14, which ranks 3rd in the Majors in that span. More recently, they are 21-14 (.600) on their last 6 road trips combined (includes current trip).
TOUGH DRAWS: Including tonight, in the last 4 games, the opposing starters that the Astros have faced have a combined won-loss record of 52-21. They are: LHP Cristopher Sánchez (17-5), RHP Zack Wheeler (12-5), RHP Drew Rasmussen (14-5), LHP Ian Seymour (9-6).
MEASURING UP: The Astros are 29-21 (.580) vs. teams currently at .500 or above. They own a .500 or better record vs. several clubs that are in the AL postseason hunt: 5-1 vs. BOS, 5-2 vs. CWS, 4-2 vs. CLE, 2-2 vs. TB, 9-4 vs. TEX, 3-3 vs. NYY, 3-3 vs. TOR.
NOTHING FINER THAN YAINER: C Yainer Diaz is hitting .367 (11×30) in the month of September with a .920 OPS.
Multi-Tasking: Diaz has tallied multiple hits in each of his last 5 starts, going 10×19 (.526) in that span.
THE HIT MAN: Jose Altuve collected his 2,500th career hit on Wed. night at PHI, becoming the 103rd player in ML history to reach this milestone. Freddie Freeman was the last player to reach 2,500 hits, which happened on June 9 of this year at PNC Park vs. PIT. Freeman (2,587) and Altuve (2,503) are the 2 active hits leaders in the Majors.
ON THE OFFENSIVE: The Astros are 2nd in the AL in HR (193) and SLG (.409), T-3rd in OPS (.724) and 6th in runs scored (663).
SLOW AND STEADY RECOVERY: Since starting the season with a 20-31 record after 51 games, the Astros are 55-42 (.567) in their last 97 games (since May 22). That is the 2nd-best record in the AL in that span, behind only the Red Sox.
STARTING STRONG: In the last 11 games, Astros starters have combined for a 2.73 ERA (17ER/56IP) . The Astros are 6-5 in that span. Additionally, the Astros are 10-7 in their last 17 games, during which the starters have posted a combined 3.13 ERA (29ER/83.1IP).
TRIPLE THREAT: Yordan Alvarez, who is a solid candidate for the AL MVP Award, currently ranks 1st or 2nd in the AL in all three Triple Crown categories. He enters today leading the AL in batting avg. (.310), while ranking 2nd in HR (38) and RBI (96). Alvarez also leads the Majors in OPS (1.017), SLG (.590) and OBP (.427).
Rare Feat: Since Carl Yastrzemski won the AL Triple Crown in 1967, there has been just one Triple Crown winner in the Majors, Miguel Cabrera in 2012 (AL).
CHALLENGING STRETCH: The Astros are 6-5 thus far while in a stretch of playing 13 cons. games vs. opponents with winning records (CWS, ARI, PHI, TB). 2 of those opponents are leading their respective divisions (CWS, TB), one currently holds a WC spot (PHI) and another that is 0.5 game out of a WC spot (ARI).
BIG WES: Tomorrow’s starter, RHP Hayden Wesneski, is 3-0 in his last 4 starts with a 1.57 ERA (4ER/23IP). For the season, he is 5-1 with a 3.35 ERA in 8 starts (Astros are 7-1 in his starts).
DOWN ON THE FARM: The Fayetteville Woodpeckers have advanced to the Carolina League Championship Round after sweeping Fredericksburg, in their 1st round playoff matchup. Fayetteville will face the Charleston RiverDogs for the Carolina League championship in a best-of-three series, beginning on Sunday in Charleston. Games 2 and 3 are scheduled to be played at Fayetteville.
TODAY IN ASTROS HISTORY: 2021 – Rookie OF Jose Siri gets his first Major League start and makes it one of the best ever, tallying 4 hits with 2 HR and 5 RBI in a 15-1 win over the Rangers at Globe Life Field. Siri had 4 Major League at-bats but no starts prior to his big night.
2020 – At Dodger Stadium, the Astros erupt for 5 runs in the top of the 9th off Kenley Jansen for a dramatic, 7-5 win over the Dodgers. The Astros tally 6 hits in the 9th off Jansen, who does not record an out.
Game Info
Game Date/Time: Saturday, September 12, 5:10 p.m. CT
Location: Tropicana Field, St. Petersburg, FL
TV: Space City Home Network
Radio: KBME 790 AM & 94.5 FM HD2; TUDN 102.9 FM HD2 (Spanish)
