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Jul 12, 2015 - 5:08 AM Lance McCullers had a couple extra days to ponder his first major league start in his home town as the Houston Astros try to limit his innings for a late-season push.

They won't need the right-hander beyond the first week of October unless they snap out of their current funk.

Houston sends McCullers to the mound against the Tampa Bay Rays on Sunday at Tropicana Field looking to avoid a sixth straight defeat.

McCullers (4-2, 2.16 ERA) grew up in Tampa and was a standout a Jesuit High School, attending Rays' games any time he got the chance. He originally was scheduled to start Friday's series opener, but manager A.J. Hinch has been trying to keep the rookie fresh for a late-season push.

The 21-year-old has allowed one run in three straight starts and will be pitching on six days' rest after throwing 101 pitches in just five innings of Houston's 5-4 loss to Boston last Sunday.

McCullers has made 10 starts since his major league debut May 18, holding opponents to a .203 average while striking out 61 in 58 1-3 innings.

"I think we're going to have a little bit of an interesting time trying to manipulate the schedule a little bit to stretch me out a little bit further as the year goes on," McCullers told MLB's official website. "I'll just have to get used to it."

Houston fans had become accustomed to losing in recent years until a hot start to 2015. The Astros (49-41), however, have dropped seven of eight while struggling offensively and another defeat coupled with a Los Angeles Angels win would drop them into second place in the AL West for the first time since April 18.

They've scored four runs during a five-game skid and finished with three hits in Saturday's 3-0 loss. Carlos Correa hit .315 in his first 25 games after making his major league debut June 8, but he's gone 2 for 23 in the last six.

''One of the more unexplainable things is when a team gets into a team-wide rut like this,'' Hinch said. ''Right now it feels like we need to be perfect to scratch across some runs."

The Rays (45-45) haven't been lighting up the scoreboard lately either, but they've won back-to-back games for the first time since a four-game run from June 17-20. They were a season-best 10 games over .500 following that winning streak, then dropped 15 of 18.

Tampa got to All-Star Dallas Keuchel early Saturday, scoring each of its runs in the second on a two-run single from Rene Rivera and RBI hit by Brandon Guyer.

Matt Moore looks to help the Rays complete the sweep as he makes his third start in his return from Tommy John surgery.

Moore (0-0, 8.00) allowed four runs in 4 2-3 innings of a 5-4, 10-inning loss to Cleveland in his season debut July 2 before giving up four runs in 4 1-3 innings of Tuesday's 9-5 loss to Kansas City.

The left-hander was sharp in his only start against the Astros in 2013, allowing two hits and striking out nine in seven innings of a 12-0 victory. Colby Rasmus is the only Astro with more than five at-bats against Moore, going 1 for 12 with five strikeouts.

Asdrubal Cabrera left Saturday after scoring on Rivera's hit because of a strained right hamstring, leaving his status for this contest unclear.

"The doctor told me he doesn't think it was that bad," Cabrera said. "That's why we will wait until tomorrow."