Tyler The Conqueror Leades Rays To Another Series Win: Rays 1, Astros 0 (2024)

The Rays usually take a next-man-up approach, and today, it was time for a new opener.

Shawn Armstrong served as the Rays eight times, and they have used one since July 2023. With his departure at the trade deadline, it’s time for someone else to fill the role.

Enter Hunter Bigge.

Bigge made his first career start for the Rays on Saturday against the Houston Astros at Minute Maid Park. Previously a reliever in the minors, where he pitched 159.0 innings across 123 appearances, Bigge quickly found himself in trouble in the bottom of the first inning.

Bigge walked Jose Altuve and Yordan Alvarez, gifting the Astros two early baserunners with no outs. When Yainer Diaz then singled to right field to load the bases, things could have gotten out of hand early. Despite the bases being loaded, Bigge managed to escape the jam by striking out Jeremy Peña, keeping the Astros scoreless with two outs. This ended Bigge’s day as Kevin Cash turned to Tyler Alexander, and Alexander was great.

Alexander entered the game and wasted no time getting out of the half-inning. With three pitches, he got Jon Singleton to strike out swinging and avoid disaster.

The top of the third inning brought excitement for the Rays. Dylan Carlson, recently acquired in the trade for Shawn Armstrong, hit a leadoff double. His timely hit set the stage for Brandon Lowe, who delivered an RBI double, bringing Carlson home and giving the Rays a 1-0 lead.

In the bottom of the third, the Astros had a chance to respond. Altuve hit a ground ball to Yandy Díaz, who made a quick flip to Alexander covering first base. Alexander beat Altuve in a footrace to the bag, showcasing excellent coordination and athleticism for a pitcher. The play was pivotal in maintaining the Rays’ narrow lead.

The sixth inning saw a scare for the Rays when Yandy Díaz took a hard-hit ball from Yordan Alvarez off his wrist. Díaz had to leave the game, which is concerning given the current lack of depth at first base. Fortunately, X-rays revealed negative, and Díaz is listed as day-to-day.

As the game progressed, both teams’ pitching staffs continued to dominate. The Rays’ bullpen, featuring Edwin Uceta and Manuel Rodríguez, kept the Astros’ hitters at bay. Rodríguez delivered a particularly impressive performance in the eighth inning, striking out Jose Altuve and Yordan Alvarez, preserving the Rays’ 1-0 advantage.

The ninth inning brought some drama and tension to make things interesting. José Siri led off with a double to the left-field corner for the Rays, putting immediate pressure on the Astros’ defense. Ben Rortvedt flew out to centerfield, but Taylor Walls drew a walk, placing runners on first and second with one out. The Rays seemed poised to add insurance runs, but Jonny DeLuca’s sharp liner was snagged by Jose Altuve, who caught the ball with his body heading towards second base to double up Jose Siri in one efficient motion.

Pete Fairbanks entered the game in the bottom of the ninth to close it out for the Rays. He induced a groundout from Yainer Diaz, struck out Jeremy Peña, and then faced Jon Singleton with two outs. Fairbanks ultimately got Singleton to strike out swinging to end the game and earn the save.

Alexander’s pitching was the primary difference-maker in this game. Alexander pitched 4.1 innings of dominance, and it is hard to ask for more from the Rays reliever. After entering the game with bases loaded in the first, he only gave up two hits and one walk while striking out five Astros hitters to earn the win.

This roster may not be as attractive on paper as it was a week ago, but the Rays are back to a season-high three games above .500 for only the third time this year. They have won 10 of their last 13 series and are five games out of the third wild card. If they keep this momentum, they could sneak into the postseason.

That’s a tall goal that requires execution one game at a time, starting on Tuesday when they face the St. Louis Cardinals at 7:45 p.m. ET.