Houston Astros vs Tampa Bay Rays Picks and Predictions August 3rd 2024

From Minute Maid Park in Houston, we have an AL matchup between the Rays and Astros. First pitch is set for 7:15 PM ET, and FOX is carrying the TV rights for this one. The Astros are 1st in the AL West, while the Rays are 4th in the AL East.

Houston is the heavy favorite on the money line, with the odds sitting at -155, while the Rays are at +131. The over/under line is currently at 8 runs, and the Astros will be looking to extend their two-game win streak. Tampa Bay has lost two straight. Ronel Blanco is starting for the Astros, and the Rays are going with Zack Littell.

Tampa Bay vs. Houston Key Information

Zack Littell will be looking to build off his last outing, where he didn’t give up a run and picked up the win. In that start vs. the Reds, he went seven innings and didn’t give up a walk. Looking at his overall numbers, Littell has made 21 starts and has a record of 4-7. His ERA for the season is 4.18, along with a WHIP of 1.35. Opponents have hit .283 off Littell this year. Per nine innings, he is averaging 8.29 strikeouts and just 1.74 walks. For the season, Littell has given up 17 homers.

Heading into today’s game, the Rays are 27th in the league in scoring at 4 runs per contest. Their home and road splits are similar, with the team averaging 3.7 runs per game at home and 4.3 runs per game on the road. As a team, they are batting just .234, which is 18th in the league, and their team on-base percentage of .312 is also just 14th in the MLB.

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Yandy Diaz is currently on a three-game hitting streak and is batting .274 for the season. He also has the 2nd most RBIs on the team at 49. Christopher Morel leads the team with 20 home runs but is batting just .199 for the season and has gone 2/10 in his last three games.

Houston is sending Ronel Blanco to the mound today vs. the Rays, and he has made 20 starts this season. Blanco’s record is 9-5, and he has an ERA of 2.95. So far, he has pitched one complete game shutout and has turned in 11 quality starts. Blanco’s WHIP for the season is 1.00, and opponents are batting .175 off the right-hander this year. In his last outing, Blanco finished with a no-decision, giving up four earned runs in 4 1/3 innings of work. Before that, he had lost three straight starts.

Yainer Diaz has been on a tear for the Astros of late, going 10/20 in his last five games with two homers and four RBIs. For the season, he is batting .300 with 59 RBIs, which is the best mark on the team. Diaz is also on an eight-game hitting streak. Kyle Tucker has also been swinging the bat well of late, as he is on a three-game hitting streak and has the 2nd most homers on the team (19).

As a team, the Astros are averaging 4.6 runs per game this season, which is 12th in the league. They have been a better offensive team at home, averaging 4.9 runs per game. Houston comes into the game with the league’s 2nd best team batting average at .261.

Our lean for a money line pick in this Rays vs. Astros matchup is to take the Astros to come out on top. As for how we would play the over/under line, we would go with the over, as this is our lowest projected scoring game of the day, and this one has the 5th lowest combined hits projection. Astros starter Ronel Blanco has the 12th best strikeout projection among today’s starters.

Astros Turn to Ronel Blanco in Rematch vs. Rays

The Houston Astros ventured out toward integrating three new individuals into their 26-man program on Friday when veteran left-hander Yusei Kikuchi succeeded in his initial start in the series opener against the Tampa Bay Rays. Kikuchi, acquired from the Toronto Blue Jays at Tuesday’s trade deadline, struck out 11 north of 5 2/3 innings and recorded a career-best 26 decisive misses in Houston’s 3-2 win.

Astros’ New Faces

The Astros were unable to carve out playing time for left-handed reliever Caleb Ferguson or freshman outfielder Pedro Leon in the series opener, yet Leon is supposed to earn his most memorable career start Saturday when the Astros have the Rays in the second challenge of the three-game series.

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Mixing the new with the old on the fly, and in quest for a postseason billet, is a welcome challenge.

“I figure our players do a really great job of embracing new faces, and they are so inviting,” Astros manager Joe Espada said. “We’re attempting to win, and they want to make those folks feel as comfortable as conceivable immediately. And that’s exactly what they’ve done. Our reputation is how good we treat people here and how good our clubhouse is. It’s important for us, and we take pride in it.”

Ronel Blanco’s Starting Assignment

Right-hander Ronel Blanco (9-5, 2.95 ERA) has the starting assignment for the Astros on Saturday. Blanco worked just 4 1/3 innings last Saturday in his past start – – his lowest total this season with the exception of his discharge against the Oakland Athletics on May 14 – – yet he didn’t factor into the choice of a 7-6 win over the Los Angeles Dodgers. He allowed four runs on three hits and three walks with nine strikeouts. Blanco is 1-3 with a 4.46 ERA over his last six starts closely following a three-start stretch where he went 3-0 with a 0.90 ERA.

Blanco has faced the Rays once in his career. He allowed one run on four hits with three strikeouts over two innings of relief but did not factor into the decision of an 8-3 road loss on April 24, 2023.

Rays’ Zack Littell

Right-hander Zack Littell (4-7, 4.18 ERA) is scheduled to start for the Rays on Saturday. Littell tossed seven scoreless innings in a 4-0 win over the Cincinnati Reds last Saturday, allowing three hits and one walk with five strikeouts. He joined Taj Bradley as the only Rays pitchers to work seven scoreless innings while allowing three hits or less this season. Littell had just one win over his previous 12 starts, going 1-5 with a 5.49 ERA and .877 OPS during that stretch.

Littell will make his second career start against the Astros. He allowed two runs on eight hits with four strikeouts over five innings in an 8-2 road victory on July 30, 2023.

Rays’ Offensive Struggles

Rays batters struck out 14 times for a second consecutive game, hitting that total in the series finale vs. the Miami Marlins on Wednesday and again against the Astros on Friday.

“It’s not the third strike that’s getting us,” Tampa Bay manager Kevin Cash said. “The approach has not been ideal. We’re expanding with guys early in the count. We need to be a little bit more mindful of what guys are doing to us.”

Game Outlook

With Ronel Blanco on the hill for the Astros and Zack Littell starting for the Rays, the two teams will focus on their pitchers to establish the vibe in the second game of this series. As Houston keeps on integrating its new players and aim for a postseason billet, the Rays should adjust their approach at the plate to beat their new hostile battles. Fans can expect a thrilling and cutthroat matchup as the two teams take a stab at crucial successes in this important series.