Houston Astros swept in Tampa Bay ahead of final two weeks of regular season and AL West in doubt
The Astros offense continued to struggle and Haden Wesneski had a poor start as Houston lost in Tampa Bay
Tampa Bay Rays pitcher Freddy Peralta delivered pitches to Houston Astros during a baseball game on Sunday, September 13, 2026, in St. Petersburg, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O Meara) The Houston Astros suffered a 14-4 defeat and were swept in a three-game series by the Rays, who lead the American League. This left Houston with a .500 record, 1½ games behind the Rangers, pending Texas' result, with 12 games left in their season.
The Astros' lineup appeared ineffective, as they scored just seven runs over three games. With Yordan Alvarez absent for the first two games, Houston struggled to score until the sixth inning of their final game. Pitching initially kept the Astros competitive but ultimately failed to replicate that performance. Manager Joe Espada began to remove key players early in the sixth inning, likely to provide rest before a team off-day.
Despite this, the Astros' offense faltered, allowing the Rays to score seven runs off their relievers.
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