HOUSTON — In a closely contested game on Sunday, Hunter Brown demonstrated exceptional skill by conceding only one hit across six innings, leading the Houston Astros to a narrow 1-0 victory over the Tampa Bay Rays. This impressive performance enabled Brown to become the first pitcher in the major leagues to secure eight wins this season, helping the Astros draw even in a tightly fought four-game series.
The Astros’ winning edge came from an unearned run in the first inning. Jeremy Peña made it to base after a fielding error by the Rays’ third baseman Junior Caminero. Christian Walker capitalized on this mistake, driving Peña home with a crucial two-out single off Tampa Bay’s starter Taj Bradley, who stands at a 4-5 record.
Houston’s bullpen was effective in maintaining the narrow lead. Reliever Bryan King took care of two batters and allowed the Rays’ only other hit of the game. Bryan Abreu successfully navigated four outs to prepare the stage for closer Josh Hader, who notched his 15th save of the season in flawless style.
Brown (8-3) was impeccable, surrendering no hits until Josh Lowe managed a single at the beginning of the sixth inning. Demonstrating calm under pressure, Brown quickly regained control, striking out Brandon Lowe and inducing a double play to finish his time on the mound.
The series proved to be closely matched. Though the Rays (30-29) showcased offensive power in certain games, outscoring the Astros (32-27) by a significant margin of 29-6 during their victories, Houston managed to flip the script in their two wins, edging Tampa Bay by 3-1.
The tension continued into the ninth inning when Taylor Walls of the Rays was ejected after disputing a call with plate umpire Nic Lentz. Christopher Morel stepped in and completed the at-bat with a strikeout. Hader sealed the game conclusively by striking out Caminero, upholding his perfect record in save opportunities this season.
Highlighting the game’s pivotal aspects, Bradley had his moment of testing in the third inning with Astros’ runners poised at the corners and no outs. Demonstrating resilience, he struck out Isaac Paredes, induced a pop-out from Jose Altuve, and struck out Walker—triumphantly leaving the situation without further damage.
As significant metrics go, Brown has maintained a commendable 1.83 ERA across thirteen starts, sitting as the fifth-lowest among major league pitchers this season.
Looking ahead, the Rays start their next series on Tuesday with Drew Rasmussen (4-4, 2.33 ERA) on the mound against Tyler Mahle (5-2, 1.64), who plays for the visiting Rangers. The Astros, embarking on a road trip, will have Lance McCullers Jr. (0-1, 5.89 ERA) face off against Paul Skenes (4-5, 2.15) of the Pittsburgh Pirates, initiating a six-game schedule away from home.