Can Houston Astros Maintain Magic as They Face Rays on Wednesday Evening?

The Houston Astros continue a monumental series against the Tampa Bay Rays on Wednesday evening at Tropicana Field.

Aug 3, 2024; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Astros starting pitcher Ronel Blanco (56) throws against the Tampa Bay Rays in the second inning at Minute Maid Park. / Thomas Shea-USA TODAY Sports

The Houston Astros have been one of the hottest teams in baseball in August. They have gone 8-3, taking over first place from the Seattle Mariners in the American League West in the process.

Riding a seven-game winning streak, they will look to keep the positive momentum going against the Tampa Bay Rays in their series finale. This has been a huge bounceback by the Astros, who lost two out of three to the Rays last week and have now, at a minimum, returned the favor.

Wednesday is a big night for Houston, as they have three games against the Chicago White Sox coming up over the weekend. Defeating Tampa Bay at their home field of Tropicana Field would put them in line for a potential double-digit win streak heading into a huge series against the Boston Red Sox next week.

Of course, they have to handle business before looking ahead. Taking the mound for the Astros tonight is Ronel Blanco. He will be opposed by Zack Littell in a rematch from August 3rd.

In the first matchup, it was Little and the Rays who were able to get the best of Blanco in a 6-1 victory. Blanco pitched five innings and was able to limit the damage to only two earned runs despite giving up six hits and two walks while striking out seven.

It will be interesting to see if the Astros lineup can figure Littell out this time around. He threw 5.2 innings last time, giving up only one run on four hits and one walk.

The first two games of this series between Houston and Tampa Bay have been mostly pitching duels. They have combined for only 12 runs in two games, with the Astros coming out ahead 6-1 and 3-2.

For Wednesday’s matchup, oddsmakers believe that Houston holds the edge once again. They have been installed as favorites with a moneyline of -123. The Rays are +104 underdogs with an over/under set at eight runs.

When favored at -123 or shorter odds, the Astros have found a lot of success. They have won nearly 60 percent of their games at those odds. On the other hand, Tampa Bay has struggled as an underdog this season, going 15-22 when listed at +104 or longer.

5.5 games out of the AL wild card race, the postseason hopes for the Rays are getting slimmer by the day. They need to salvage a victory, but slowing down this red-hot Houston squad is easier said than done.