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Astros seek to get win streak going vs. Rays

Jun 21, 2014 - 12:38 PM (SportsNetwork.com) - The Houston Astros will square off at Tropicana Field with the Tampa Bay Rays Saturday in the third contest of a four-game series seeking a second straight win directly following a four-game losing skid.

Tampa Bay's Jake Odorizzi goes for his third victory of the season, while right-hander Jake Buchanan will step in for Houston to make his major league debut.

Odorizzi has had a disastrous stretch for the Rays, and enters this contest searching for his first win since a May 14 battle against Seattle. He sports a 2-7 record with a 4.73 ERA, though he has notched 81 strikeouts to 28 walks on the year.

Against Baltimore in his latest outing, Odorizzi spent 5 1/3 innings on the mound and surrendered three hits and two earned runs with five strikeouts. He was handed a no-decision, extending his six-game winless stretch (0-4).

The 24-year-old Buchanan, meanwhile, will be recalled from Triple-A Oklahoma City to make a spot start in place of Brad Peacock, who is recovering from a bout of food poisoning.

Buchanan has gone 6-4 with a 3.54 ERA in 14 games in the minors this season, with all but one of those appearances starts.

Peacock, who did manage to throw a bullpen session on Friday, could be available to pitch out of the bullpen on Sunday before returning to the rotation.

"He's actually fine, but as we think about it, we just want to give him a few extra days," Astros manager Bo Porter told his club's website. "With the off- day coming on Monday, it actually affords us to give him a few more extra days."

The two teams went head-to-head Friday night in the second game of the series, which saw the Astros outpace the Rays for a 3-1 victory. Both starting pitchers - Jarred Cosart for Houston and David Price for Tampa Bay - pitched eight innings in the contest.

Cosart earned his seventh win of the season after hurling eight innings of six-hit, scoreless ball. Chad Qualls entered the game in the ninth inning for the save, although he surrendered a run in the process.

George Springer homered for the 'Stros off Price in the third inning - his 13th of the season - that plated two. That was all the cushion Cosart would need.

"I was a little bit in front of it and just didn't want to hook it," Springer said. "I was actually saying to myself, 'Just stay fair.'"

Jose Altuve recorded a team-high three hits on the night. He leads the American League with 101 hits on the season.

Price was tagged with the loss after pitching eight innings of six-hit, two- run baseball. He struck out 12 batters in the process.

The Rays have dropped 13 of 19 games played in the month of June.