Tight Start but Solid Second Inning 
Our boys got off to a cautious start, but things looked promising early on. Jose Altuve worked a walk to get on base in the bottom of the 1st, and Yordan Alvarez followed up with a double to right, even though we couldn't capitalize on it. Then came the bottom of the 2nd inning, when Jon Singleton blasted a solo home run to right field! 
That gave us a 1-0 lead, and Minute Maid Park was buzzing with excitement.Pitching and Defense on Display 
For the first four innings, our defense and pitching kept the Rays at bay. Altuve and Alvarez were making solid contact, and it felt like we were ready to extend our lead. However, the Rays' pitching staff, especially their closer, stood strong and didn’t give us much to work with.Rough 5th and 7th Innings 
Things took a turn in the 5th inning when Josh Lowe of the Rays hit a two-run homer, putting them ahead 2-1. Unfortunately, the 7th inning saw more fireworks from the Rays; Yandy Diaz and again Josh Lowe both homered, stretching their lead to 4-1. We couldn't get our bats going against their relievers, and it was a tough pill to swallow.Closing Inning Struggles 
The 9th inning was the final nail in the coffin. Brandon Lowe added two more runs with a single, making it 6-1. Despite our best efforts, the Rays' closer, Pete Fairbanks, locked down the 9th with ease. Alex Bregman, Alvarez, and Yainer Diaz all tried to spark a rally but couldn't find the gaps. It was a tough end to the game for us.Even though the game didn't go our way, it's always great to see the Astros fight hard. Let's regroup and look forward to the next one. Go Astros!
Scoreboard for Rays @ Astros (August 3rd, 2024)
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 1 |
| 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 6 | 13 | 0 |