Wander Franco saw his major league record-tying 43 game on-base streak come to an end, as the Tampa Bay Rays dropped the rubber match of their three-game series with the Houston Astros by a 3-2 score Thursday at Minute Maid Park.
Left-hander Ryan Yarbrough, who came on in the second inning after Collin McHugh allowed a Yordan Alvarez single but no runs in the first, allowed the leadoff batter to reach in the second, third, and fourth innings. He was able to escape the first two innings without allowing a run, but in the fourth after Yuli Gurriel singled to start the inning, he walked Kyle Tucker to bring up Carlos Correa, who took a cutter up in the zone and smacked it deep into the seats in left, his 25th of the season, for a 3-0 lead.
Meanwhile, Astros starter Lance McCullers would not allow a Rays hitter to reach on a hit until Ji-Man Choi singled to start the sixth. He would be erased on a Mike Zunino fielder’s choice, and Joey Wendle struck out for the second out of the inning, but Brandon Lowe picked up his teammates a delivered a two-run homer to get back to within a run at 3-2.
Franco saw his on-base streak end after going 0-4, including ending the sixth on a ground ball that umpires originally called him safe on for a base hit, but was overturned on replay review. He also grounded into a fielder’s choice in the fourth, and was thrown out trying to advance on a ball in the dirt to end that inning, and another in the ninth against closer Ryan Pressly, getting erased on a Nelson Cruz double play.
Yandy Diaz then grounded out to end the game, allowing Houston to clinch the American League West title.
Tampa Bay will finish the 2021 regular season in the Bronx with a three-game series against the New York Yankees. Shane McClanahan (10-6, 3.44 ERA) will get the start in Friday’s opener, taking on Nestor Cortes Jr. (2-2, 2.85 ERA) First pitch is scheduled for 7:05.