ST. PETERSBURG -- The Astros have been in first place in the American League West since the beginning of August, but the gap between them and the AL’s best team -- the Tampa Bay Rays -- is a substantial one.
That much was evident over the weekend at Tropicana Field, where the Rays won a pair of close games before smashing the Astros, 14-4, on Sunday afternoon to sweep the series and drop Houston back to .500 (75-75) with 12 games remaining in the regular season.
“Not a good way to end the series,” manager Joe Espada said. “We had a chance to win the first two [games], an opportunity to win two out of three, but it just didn’t go our way.”
Coming off a series in which they took two of three from the Phillies, the Astros were outscored 20-7 in the sweep to the Rays and managed seven total extra-base hits, including three homers and a double on Sunday after the game was out of reach.
Still, the Astros and their minus-53 run differential are guaranteed to be in first place when they face the Royals on Tuesday at Daikin Park as they try to hold off the Rangers in the AL West race. If you’re into silver linings: The last time the Astros were swept (July 17-19 by Baltimore), they responded by winning 11 of 12 games.
“We’re really good at coming back from a losing streak, and I don’t see any reason why we’re not going to do it now,” said second baseman Jose Altuve, who went 0-for-4.
Astros slugger Yordan Alvarez had two plate appearances Sunday after missing the first games of the series with a sore ankle, but Houston’s offensive issues are much deeper than its slumping slugger. A division title remains in reach, but the Astros have to find a way to wake up their offense.
“Obviously, it’s very frustrating,” Alvarez said. “I don’t think anybody wants to come out there and lose. I don’t think it’s a secret that Tampa [Bay] is a really good team, and they were able to take advantage of every situation they were put in.”
The Rays scored early and often Sunday, including four times in the third inning following a two-out error by shortstop Jeremy Peña. Houston’s anemic offense didn’t get a hit until Isaac Paredes clubbed a two-run homer in the sixth, but it was already 11-0 by that time. Alvarez returned to the lineup and went 0-for-1 with a walk before Espada emptied his bench.
“Obviously, not having Yordan in the middle obviously creates a little gap, but I thought we had some quality at-bats,” Espada said. “I like the way we finished today’s game. … Just a tough series. You play good teams, and we have to learn from some of the things we didn’t do well this series and we’ve got to go back home and play better.”
Houston’s offense is averaging just 3.7 runs per game since Aug. 15, with the production of Peña and Alvarez taking a nosedive late in the season. Since Aug. 3, Peña is hitting .170, and Alvarez is hitting .242 with a .763 OPS with only three homers, dealing a blow to his AL Triple Crown hopes.
“We have to keep playing ball,” Peña said. “That’s all we can do, that’s all we can control. Turn the page, show up and play ball.”
Astros starter Hayden Wesneski (5-2) lasted only three innings, giving up seven runs (three earned), including three in the first inning. Peña’s dropped popup with two outs in the third allowed Victor Mesa Jr. to score from second, and Richie Palacios followed with a three-run homer to make it 7-0.
“I just dropped the ball,” Peña said. “Nothing else I can say.”
Houston’s first three hits were homers -- Paredes in the sixth and back-to-back shots in the eighth by Nick Allen and Nelson Velázquez, both of whom came off the bench. But it’s going to be up to Houston’s stars -- Altuve, Peña and Alvarez -- to turn the momentum around in the final 12 games.
“It’s right in front of us,” Espada said. “It’s up to us to grab it and continue to push forward. We control our own destiny, and this is not a series that went our way. But [we have an] off-day tomorrow, and we’ve got to get back to work.”