Rays look to steal another from Astros

After entering the opener of a four-game road series against the Houston Astros leading the majors with 76 stolen bases, the Tampa Bay Rays wreaked havoc again on the basepaths in their 13-3 win on Thursday.

The Rays swiped five bases, three from rookie left fielder Chandler Simpson, and forced a throwing error on Astros catcher Yainer Diaz that resulted in Simpson scoring in the top of the fourth inning. The Rays' ability to apply pressure to opposing batteries with team speed continues to pay dividends.

"It's been a dynamic, and I like the way that we've used the speed in our favor and the base-stealing opportunities," Rays manager Kevin Cash said. "I feel like the best part about it is we've made good decisions. We hit points last year (where) we had similar speed, and there was a 30-game, 45-game stretch where we went into a rut with our decision-making and our thought process.

"But I give all the guys a lot of credit ... for knowing what they're capable of and trying to execute that, not doing too much every night."

Right-hander Ryan Pepiot (3-5, 3.55 ERA) has the starting assignment for the Rays on Friday. He tossed seven scoreless innings at the Toronto Blue Jays on Sunday and allowed three hits and one walk with five strikeouts in the 13-0 victory. It marked his fourth consecutive quality start and sixth in his last seven appearances. Pepiot has worked at least six innings in eight of 11 starts.

In his lone career appearance against the Astros, Pepiot allowed three runs on eight hits and one walk, with two strikeouts, over six innings but did not factor into the decision of a 4-3 home loss on May 19.

Left-hander Framber Valdez (4-4, 3.39 ERA) is the scheduled starter for the Astros. He allowed one run on four hits and four walks, with five strikeouts, over six innings in a 2-1 win over the Seattle Mariners on Saturday. It was his fourth consecutive quality start.

Valdez is 3-0 with a 2.25 ERA during that stretch.

Valdez is 1-1 with a 5.73 ERA in two career starts against the Rays. In his previous start against Tampa Bay, a 6-1 win in August 2024, he allowed one run on three hits and one walk with nine strikeouts over 5 2/3 innings.

Following a slow start to the season offensively, the Astros found their stride when they reconfigured the top of their lineup to feature Jeremy Pena, Isaac Paredes and Jose Altuve batting in that order.

Astros slugger Yordan Alvarez (right hand inflammation) is scheduled to face live pitching on Friday and could be set for a return from his 25-game stint on the injured list. Alvarez has hit third in a team-high 24 games, but the Astros appear likely to keep their current order intact even after Alvarez returns.

"I like how that 1-2-3 punch is working with Pena, Paredes and Altuve," Astros manager Joe Espada said. "I think we've started to pick up some steam, and I'm really pleased with where we're at overall, creating some opportunities for those guys in the middle to drive some runs in."