Houston 4, Tampa Bay 3
When: 7:05 PM ET, Monday, May 19, 2025
Where: George M. Steinbrenner Field, Tampa, Florida
Temperature:
87°
Umpires:
Home -
Chris Segal, 1B -
Alan Porter, 2B -
Jim Wolf, 3B -
Brian Walsh
Attendance:
10046
By Field Level Media
Jake Meyers hit a go-ahead solo home run in the seventh inning as the Houston Astros opened a three-game series with a 4-3 win over the host Tampa Bay Rays on Monday night.
The Rays' Jose Caballero hit an RBI double in the sixth to even the game at 3-3. But the deadlock did not last long as Meyers led off the seventh with his third deep shot of the season off Manuel Rodriguez (0-2).
Meyers went 2-for-3 with two runs, a walk and a stolen base.
Houston's 11-hit attack was highlighted by Jeremy Pena's 3-for-4 showing. Victor Caratini hit a solo homer while Cam Smith was 2-for-4 with a double, run and RBI. Isaac Paredes added two hits.
A local product from St. Petersburg, Astros' starting pitcher Colton Gordon surrendered three runs on five hits in 5 1/3 innings in his second career start. He struck out seven without a walk. Bryan King (2-0) left Caballero stranded at second, retiring a pair of Rays in the sixth. Josh Hader earned his 12th save with a scoreless ninth.
Tampa Bay's Danny Jansen hit a two-run homer while Yandy Diaz was 2-for-4 with a double and a run. Chandler Simpson stole two bases.
Rays' starter Ryan Pepiot allowed three runs on eight hits over six innings. He fanned two with a walk.
The visitors broke through for a trio of runs in the second after Pepiot recorded two outs right away. The switch-hitting Caratini, batting from the left side, drilled an 85 mph 0-1 change-up to right center for his third homer of the season. Meyers' walk and stolen base turned into a 2-0 lead on Smith's double. Then Chas McCormick added an RBI single in the productive frame.
Following a leadoff single by Brandon Lowe in the fifth, Jansen lofted his third homer down the right field line to make it 3-2. According to Statcast metrics, the ball traveled only 330 feet, revealing that it would only have left the Tampa venue and Yankee Stadium.
Owning an 11-for-11 mark in saves, Hader worked around a catcher's interference and Simpson's second stolen base. He preserved the win by retiring Taylor Walls on a bunt pop-out and Ben Rortvedt on a foul-out to third.
--Field Level Media
Top Game Performances
Starting Pitchers
Houston |
|
Tampa Bay |
Colton Gordon
|
Player |
Ryan Pepiot
|
No Decision |
W/L |
No Decision |
5.1 |
IP |
6.0 |
7 |
Strikeouts |
2 |
5 |
Hits |
8 |
5.06 |
ERA |
4.50 |
Team Stats Summary
Team |
Hits |
HR |
TB |
Avg |
LOB |
K |
RBI |
BB |
SB |
Errors |
Houston
|
11 |
2 |
18 |
.324 |
14 |
3 |
4 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
Tampa Bay
|
7 |
1 |
12 |
.206 |
16 |
9 |
3 |
1 |
4 |
0 |