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Houston Astros (32-42) at Tampa Bay Rays (29-45), 6:10 pm (CT)
TV: CSN Houston, MLB.TV
Radio: KBME 790 AM, KLAT 1010 AM
Rays SBNation Blog: DRaysBay
Pitching Matchup
RHP Jarred Cosart (6-5, 4.16 ERA, 1.36 WHIP) Vs. LHP David Price (5-6, 3.93 ERA, 1.11 WHIP)
Preview
The Rays have had the Astros' number for a few years now, plan and simple. That tends to happen when one team loses a hundred games year after year and the other is winning the American League East titles. Since 2011, Tampa Bay has a record of 11 wins and 3 losses against Houston. More importantly, the Rays are three and one against the Astros this season.
One of the rare wins for the Astros came in Jarred Cosart's first career major league, as he squared off against David Price for the first time last season. He had a no-hitter going into the later innings, but ended with a tremendous line - 8 IP, 0 R, 2 H, 3 BB, 2 K. The Rays were able to touch Cosart for three runs over seven innings in their most recent skirmish. Evan Longoria jumped all over Cosart last Friday, generating all three of the Rays runs off Cosart - a RBI single and two-run home run.
Cosart is aiming to keep his streak of 10-straight quality starts alive, the last time he didn't post a quality start was April 18 against the Athletics.
David Price is on the opposing team so of course I'm rooting against him. But, I've doubled my hater-aide doseage because he is a Vandyman. Vanderbilt is playing Texas in the College World Series, so I hope the Astros destroy him for extra completely arbitrary reason.
Like Cosart, Price's last start was also against the Astros last Saturday. He held the Astros to three runs over eight innings, striking out ten and walking zero. Dexter Fowler and Matt Dominguez jumped on him early with solo home runs. Jesus Guzman added the third RBI of the game and thus a possible reason for him being in the lineup today in left.
Dexter Fowler has had his way with the Rays lefty - he is four-for-eight with two extra-base hits. Matty D checks in at 3-for-8 against Price. After that things get ugly for the Astros in career stats against tonight's starter.