HOUSTON ASTROS NEWS

Jeremy Peña - Belts 21st long ball Pena went 3-for-4 with a two-run home run and an RBI single in Sunday's win over the Rays.

Impact Pena led the offense Sunday, accounting for all three of Houston's runs, and extending his hitting streak to five games in the process. His home run in the first inning was his 21st of the season and his second in that five-game stretch. He is slashing .252/.288/.421 through 134 games this season.

OCTOBER 2, 2022 • ROTOWIRE

Luis Garcia - Ends regular season on high note Garcia (15-8) earned the win Sunday, allowing one run on three hits and one walk over six innings with four strikeouts in a 3-1 win over the Rays.

Impact In what was likely his last appearance of the regular season, Garcia allowed one run over six innings, marking the first time he has thrown consecutive quality starts since June 4. The only damage came via a leadoff double followed by an RBI single in the top of the second inning, as he held the Rays to just two other baserunners on the afternoon. After a breakout campaign in 2021 when he recorded 11 wins with a 3.48 ERA over 155.1 innings, the 25-year-old has followed it up with 15 wins and a 3.72 ERA over 157.1 innings in 2022.

OCTOBER 2, 2022 • ROTOWIRE

Astros and Rays meet with series tied 1-1

Both the Houston Astros and the Tampa Bay Rays are looking for a series win with a victory on Sunday

OCTOBER 2, 2022 • ASSOCIATED PRESS

Jake Meyers - Two hits, steal in win Meyers went 2-for-3 with a stolen base and a run scored in Saturday's 2-1 win over the Rays.

Impact Meyers scored the opening run in the third inning, and he added a single and a steal in the seventh. This was the outfielder's first start since he was recalled from Triple-A Sugar Land on Thursday. He also matched his career high in major-league games played at 49, and he's produced a .218/.263/.310 slash line with two steals, one home run, 14 RBI, 13 runs scored, six doubles and two triples through 152 plate appearances in 2022.

OCTOBER 2, 2022 • ROTOWIRE

Ryan Pressly - Yields run but earns save Pressly allowed a run on a hit and two walks while striking out two over one inning to earn the save in Saturday's 2-1 win over the Rays.

Impact Pressly allowed an RBI single to Yandy Diaz in the ninth inning, but he retired pinch hitter Harold Ramirez on a lineout to end the Rays' threat. Since returning from a neck injury Sept. 9, Pressly has given up three runs in 9.2 innings while converting all seven of his save chances in that span. He has 32 saves in 36 tries this year while maintaining a 3.04 ERA, 0.91 WHIP and 63:13 K:BB across 47.1 innings.

OCTOBER 2, 2022 • ROTOWIRE

Cristian Javier - Fourth straight scoreless outing Javier (11-9) earned the win Saturday over the Rays, allowing two hits and two walks while striking out seven across six scoreless innings.

Impact Javier was hot in the second half of September, and he kept it going into October with his fourth straight scoreless start. In that span, he's pitched 23 innings, allowing just six hits and six walks while striking out 29 in an absolutely dominant stretch that should solidify his spot in the Astros' playoff rotation. This was likely his last start of the regular season, and the 25-year-old ended the campaign with a 2.54 ERA, 0.95 WHIP and 194:52 K:BB over 148.2 innings across 30 appearances (25 starts).

OCTOBER 2, 2022 • ROTOWIRE

Javier throws 6 strong innings, AL-best Astros beat Rays 2-1

Cristian Javier threw six shutout innings and Jake Meyers had two hits in the Houston Astros’ 2-1 victory over the Tampa Bay Rays on Saturday night

OCTOBER 2, 2022 • ASSOCIATED PRESS

Chas McCormick - Heads to bench Saturday McCormick isn't in the lineup Saturday against the Rays.

Impact McCormick started the last six games and hit .318 with a home run, two runs, two RBI, a stolen base, three walks and six strikeouts. He'll get a breather while Jake Meyers draws the start in center field and bats eighth.

OCTOBER 1, 2022 • ROTOWIRE

Trey Mancini - On bench Saturday Mancini isn't starting Saturday against the Rays.

Impact Mancini will get a day off after he went 1-for-10 with a double, a run, an RBI, two walks and a strikeout over his last three games. Yordan Alvarez is serving as the designated hitter while Aledmys Diaz starts in left field.

OCTOBER 1, 2022 • ROTOWIRE

Josh James - Undergoes surgery James underwent surgery on his flexor tendon this week, Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle reports.

Impact James has spent the last several months recovering from a lat strain and suffered a setback during his rehab assignment in mid-September due to forearm discomfort. It's not yet clear whether the right-hander will be ready for spring training in 2023 following his procedure.

OCTOBER 1, 2022 • ROTOWIRE

Yuli Gurriel - Knocks in two Gurriel went 2-for-4 with a double and two RBI on Friday against the Rays.

Impact Gurriel tallied two separate RBI knocks, including a single in the fourth inning and a double in the final frame. Despite hitting just .200 across his last 10 games, Gurriel has managed seven RBI in that span. He's maintained a .240/.286/.359 line across 567 plate appearances for the season.

OCTOBER 1, 2022 • ROTOWIRE

Alex Bregman - Tallies 23rd homer Bregman went 1-for-4 with a solo home run Friday against the Rays.

Impact Bregman took Drew Rasmussen deep in the first inning to tally his 23rd homer of the season. Despite hitting only .232 across 24 games in September, Bregman reached base at a .353 clip with 12 runs scored and 15 RBI. Overall, he has a .262/.369/.463 line across 637 plate appearances on the season.

OCTOBER 1, 2022 • ROTOWIRE

Yordan Alvarez - Two hits in return Alvarez went 2-for-4 with two doubles and a run scored Friday against the Rays.

Impact Alvarez missed one game due to an ankle injury, but he returned to extend his hitting streak to five games. Though he'll likely get some days off prior to the postseason, Alvarez is closing the regular season well by hitting .360 with 15 runs scored and 16 RBI across 22 games in September.

OCTOBER 1, 2022 • ROTOWIRE

Phillies Scheduled to Face Astros Aces in Final Series The Philadelphia Phillies were hoping the Houston Astros would take it easy in their final series of the season. That is not to be the case.

OCTOBER 1, 2022 • STAR-TELEGRAM.COM

Framber Valdez - Tagged for six runs Valdez (16-6) gave up six earned runs on nine hits and three walks while striking out two over 5.1 innings to take the loss in a 7-3 defeat against the Rays on Friday.

Impact Valdez struggled for his second start in a row after putting together an MLB-record 25 consecutive quality starts earlier in the season. The Rays made plenty of contact and Valdez gave up six runs in a game for only the second time this year. Nevertheless, 2022 has been a breakout campaign for Valdez who significantly upped his workload by pitching 196.1 innings to date with an ERA of 2.89. Depending on how the Astros decide to structure their rotation in the playoffs, the big left-hander could be in line to make one last regular season start on Wednesday against the Phillies.

OCTOBER 1, 2022 • ROTOWIRE

Rays bring 1-0 series lead over Astros into game 2

The Tampa Bay Rays play the Houston Astros with a 1-0 series lead

OCTOBER 1, 2022 • ASSOCIATED PRESS

Clayton Kershaw sharp, MLB-best Dodgers rout Rockies 10-1

Clayton Kershaw went six scoreless innings in his next-to-last start before the playoffs and the Los Angeles Dodgers had an eight-run fourth inning in a 10-1 victory over the Color...

OCTOBER 1, 2022 • ASSOCIATED PRESS

Rays clinch AL wild-card spot; Astros get AL home-field edge

Drew Rasmussen pitched seven effective innings and the Tampa Bay Rays clinched a playoff spot for the fourth straight season, beating the Houston Astros 7-3

OCTOBER 1, 2022 • ASSOCIATED PRESS

AL runs through Houston: Astros clinch top seed HOUSTON -- With the Yankees’ 2-1 loss to the Orioles on Friday night, the Astros secured the top seed in the American League and home-field...

OCTOBER 1, 2022 • MLB.COM

José Urquidy - Moving to bullpen Urquidy will move to the bullpen for the rest of the season, Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle reports.

Impact The Astros have upwards of seven deserving starting pitchers on the big-league roster, and with six games left this season, Urquidy will transition to relief. He wouldn't have been a part of the postseason starting rotation, so this gives him time to get accustomed to his role going forward. Framber Valdez would be on schedule to pitch the final game of the season, but the Astros could also start Hunter Brown if they want to save Valdez for the playoffs.

SEPTEMBER 30, 2022 • ROTOWIRE

Lance McCullers Jr. - Targeting Monday start McCullers (illness) is targeting a return Monday against the Phillies, Neil Solondz of the Rays Radio Network reports.

Impact McCullers missed his start Tuesday against the Diamondbacks due to an illness, but it looks as though he might only need to miss one turn in the rotation. He threw Friday and is in line for one more start before the end of the regular season, assuming he's cleared to pitch.

SEPTEMBER 30, 2022 • ROTOWIRE

Martín Maldonado - Sitting out Friday Maldonado isn't in the lineup Friday against Tampa Bay.

Impact After going 0-for-7 in Houston's last series against the Diamondbacks, Maldonado will yield catching duties to Christian Vazquez, who will bat eighth. This is the third time Maldonado has sat after making two consecutive starts, so it seems the Astros have fallen into a pattern behind the plate they like going forward.

SEPTEMBER 30, 2022 • ROTOWIRE

Yordan Alvarez - Returns to lineup Friday Alvarez (ankle) is starting Friday against the Rays.

Impact Alvarez sat out Wednesday's series finale against the Diamondbacks due to a left ankle injury, but he'll serve as the designated hitter and bat third a day later. The 25-year-old is riding a four-game hitting streak in which he's gone 5-for-11 with two RBI, a run, four walks and four strikeouts.

SEPTEMBER 30, 2022 • ROTOWIRE

Rays visit the Astros to begin 3-game series

The Houston Astros start a three-game series at home against the Tampa Bay Rays on Friday

SEPTEMBER 30, 2022 • ASSOCIATED PRESS

Michael Brantley - Aiming to be ready for spring Brantley (shoulder) said Wednesday that he should be ready to resume full baseball activities by spring training, Chandler Rome of the Houston Chronicle reports.

Impact Though Brantley is set to become a free agent this winter, is turning 36 years old in May and is working back from August surgery to repair the labrum in his right shoulder, he isn't yet ready to retire. Brantley's power production has trended down in recent seasons and he's probably a better fit at designated hitter than in the corner outfield at this stage of his career, but his elite contact skills should be enough for him to secure a one-year deal on the open market.

SEPTEMBER 29, 2022 • ROTOWIRE