Two surging teams meet as Rays travel to Houston
The Tampa Bay Rays are hoping right-hander Shane Baz can finish the month of May better than the way it started.
Baz (4-3, 4.94 ERA) is scheduled to take the mound Thursday evening in the opener of a four-game series at Houston.
Baz won his most recent outing after allowing one run and four hits over 5 2/3 innings of a 3-1 victory against the Toronto Blue Jays last Saturday.
'Early on, the strike zone was a little bit of a struggle for him. He couldn't get into a rhythm,' Rays manager Kevin Cash said of Baz's last start. 'Sometimes, you've just got to deal with it and bare down and find a way to navigate through at-bats, and make some pitches and trust your defense.'
Baz had gone 0-3 in his first four starts in May with a 9.61 ERA, a distinct turnaround after he started the season 3-0 in five April starts, sporting a tidy 2.45 ERA.
He's hoping to follow up the performance by teammate Drew Rasmussen on Wednesday.
Rasmussen blanked the visiting Minnesota Twins on one hit over six innings in the 5-0 victory, the seventh win in the past eight games for Tampa Bay.
It was the second shutout in the past four games for the Rays and the third in the past 11 contests.
The Astros ran their winning streak to a season-high four games with a 5-3 win against the visiting Athletics on Wednesday afternoon.
Victor Caratini had a tie-breaking two-run single in the seventh inning and Zach Dezenzo singled, homered and scored twice for the Astros.
Houston improved to 20-10 at home.
Houston manager Joe Espada announced Wednesday that he planned to start rookie right-hander Ryan Gusto (3-2, 4.58) in the series opener Thursday.
Six of Gusto's 12 appearances this season have been as a starter. He most recently went 4 1/3 innings against the Seattle Mariners last Friday, allowing two runs and four hits without a decision in the 5-3 loss.
He had moved into the starting rotation last week when left-hander Brandon Walter was optioned to Triple-A Sugar Land and Ronel Blanco developed elbow problems, which will require season-ending surgery.
Blanco, who threw a no-hitter against the Blue Jays last season, was 3-4 with a 4.10 ERA and 48 strikeouts in 48 1/3 innings this season.
'As a team and as the leader of this team, I have to keep these guys focused on the goal,' Espada said. 'We're still the best team in the (AL) West, and (after) this news, we have to pick each other up, find someone who can come up and step up and pick these innings up.'
Houston could be without first baseman Christian Walker, who departed the game Wednesday after getting hit on the right hand by a 96 mph fastball, although after the game Walker said he 'should be good to go.'
Mauricio Dubon would likely take Walker's place after subbing for him Wednesday.
Brandon Lowe enters on an 11-game hitting streak for the Rays.
--Field Level Media
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