Rays take a step toward their next goal with another win over Astros

Marc Topkin, Tampa Bay Times on Sep 12, 2026

Published in Baseball

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TAMPA, Fla. — With a playoff berth clinched dramatically and celebrated exuberantly Friday night, several Rays said Saturday afternoon they had fully turned their attention to the next goal, which is to secure the American League East division title.

“Yesterday was yesterday,” designated hitter Yandy Diaz said via team interpreter Kevin Vera. “We enjoyed it, but today’s a new day. We’re moving forward now, and it’s a matter of the next objective that we’ve had all year, and that’s (to) win the division.”

They started Saturday with a three-game lead and a magic number of 13 to clinch. They knew before they took the field that the second-place Yankees had lost, so there was an opportunity to improve their standing.

They rallied late in the game to do so, beating the AL West-leading Astros 3-2.

First, the Rays rallied for a run in the seventh to take the lead.

Liam Hicks, continuing to prove the value of his trade-deadline acquisition from Miami, led off the seventh with a double. Victor Mesa Jr. followed with a walk. Chandler Simpson’s grounder to first led to an out at second and left them with runners at the corners. Recently promoted Nick Madrigal pinch-hit vs. lefty Bennett Sousa and delivered a sacrifice fly to center to put the Rays back ahead 3-2.

The Rays had a chance for more when pinch-hitter Jonny DeLuca reached on an infield single and stole second uncontested, but Jorge Mateo lined out to right.

Then, they showed something in the eighth to hold the lead.

Rookie reliever Ty Johnson, called up last weekend, opened the eighth by walking Jeremy Pena. But he battled through nine pitches to retire ex-Ray Isaac Paredes on a groundout and struck out longtime Houston star Jose Altuve on eight pitches.

Bryan Baker got the last out of the eighth, then went back out to get three more, recording his major-league-leading 40th save and 29th straight, the last out a fly ball caught at the right-field wall.

With the win, the Rays improved their AL-leading record to 89-59, moving to 30 games over .500 for the first time since the end of the 2023 season, which they finished 99-63.

The Rays, at least, had a potential excuse for their quiet start at the plate after their eventful Friday, returning to the playoffs for the first time in three seasons following a five-year run of qualifying.

Junior Caminero, who pushed them into the playoffs Friday with a two-run, walk-off homer in the ninth, singled with two out in the first on Saturday. But Houston starter Peter Lambert then retired 10 straight.

Mesa ended that streak with a single to lead off the fifth, capping a nine-pitch at-bat. Simpson followed by lining a single to center, sending Mesa to third.

After a Cedric Mullins bunt that only moved Simpson to second, Richie Palacios came up with another big hit, lacing a single to center that gave Tampa Bay a 2-1 lead.

Rays lefty Ian Seymour got off a somewhat typical start — he struck out a lot of batters and gave up a homer, a first-inning shot to Paredes that went, as almost all of Paredes’ do, to left field.

After allowing a walk to Altuve and a single to Yainer Diaz, Seymour got on a remarkable roll against a Houston lineup missing MVP/Triple Crown candidate Yordan Alvarez for a second straight game due to a right ankle issue, setting down 16 straight.

That streak ended in the sixth, when Altuve, drawing a cacophony of boos stemming from the Astros’ 2017 cheating scandal, hit a double. Diaz followed with an RBI single that evened the score 2-2.

Seymour worked six innings, allowing the two runs, four hits and a walk while striking out 10. It was his sixth straight start without a win.

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