The Astros closed out what has been an otherwise-stellar ten-game homestand with a drawn-out, back-and-forth 9-8 loss to the Rays that was full of mistakes and missed opportunities.
Following wins of 15-1 and 8-6, the Astros turned to Zack Greinke in his fifth start as an Astro, making it the first occasion of the Astros getting a series with starts from the vaunted Verlander-Cole-Greinke trio. And things were off to what seemed to be a solid start in the first, with Greinke picking up two Ks in a ten-pitch inning and Jose Altuve notching his MLB-leading 64th hit since the All-Star Break off of opener Andrew Kittredge.