It was going to happen at some point, but the length of the unbeaten streak at Tropicana Field has wowed the baseball world. But it would come to an end Tuesday as Luis Garcia and three Houston Astros relievers held Rays bats to just five hits and shut out Tampa Bay 5-0.
Both Garcia and Rays starter Drew Rasmussen were able to keep the game scoreless through the first four innings, but it would be Rasmussen who would blink in the fifth, allowing bac-to-back one out doubles by Mauricio Dubon and Jeremy Pena to get the Astros out in front. Kyle Tucker would make it 2-0 with a RBI single, and two-out toubles by Jose Abreu and Corey Julks, followed by a single by Jake Meyers would finish off the scoring in the game.
Meanwhile, Garcia would finish having allowed just three hits in six innings of work, walking a pair and striking out seven.
Heath Hembree made his Rays debut in relief of Rasmussen, working 1 1/3 scoreless innings.
Tampa Bay will look to take a series victory with a win in Wednesday’s rubber match. Calvin Faucher (0-0, 5.91 ERA) will start agaist Hunter Brown (2-0, 3.09 ERA). FIrst pitch is scheduled for 6:40.
Steve Carney is the founder and publisher of St. Pete Nine. One of the people most associated with baseball coverage in Tampa Bay, he spent 13 seasons covering the Rays for flagship radio station WDAE, first as producer of Rays Radio broadcasts, then as beat reporter beginning in 2011. He likes new analytics and aged bourbon, and is the owner of one of the ugliest knuckleballs ever witnessed by baseball scouts.
