HOUSTON -AP- Steven Souza Jr. homered and drove in three runs, Corey Dickerson added three hits and made a dazzling defensive play to preserve the lead, and the Tampa Bay Rays beat the Houston Astros 5-3 on Thursday night.The Rays have won three in a row since dropping the series opener 14-7, and it's the first time Houston has lost three in a row since June 11-13.
The Astros led by one entering the seventh inning when Francisco Liriano(6-6) took over for starter Collin McHugh to make his Houston debut after a trade from Toronto on Monday. Liriano retired Adeiny Hechavarria before a single by Dickerson. The left-hander then walked Lucas Duda and was lifted for Chris Devenski.A wild pitch by Devenski allowed both runners to advance before Evan Longoria reached on an error by third baseman Alex Bregman, tying it at 3. Logan Morrison struck out before Souza's double to left field put the Rays up 5-3.Houston got consecutive singles from Jose Altuve and Bregman off Sergio Romo with two outs in the seventh and the pair executed a double steal to put both runners in scoring position. But then Dickerson sprinted to catch a line drive hit by Yuli Gurriel on the run in left field, leaving Houston emptyhanded.The Rays got another good outing from their bullpen, with Brad Boxberger (3-3), Romo, Tommy Hunter and Alex Colome combining for five scoreless innings after Blake Snell left with two on and no outs in the fifth inning. Colome pitched a perfect ninth to convert a save for the third straight day and give him 33 this season.Souza, who missed the previous two games with a bruised left foot, hit his 23rd home run to cut the deficit to 3-2 in the sixth.Snell allowed seven hits and three runs in four-plus innings, extending his winless streak to 15 starts. McHugh gave up five hits and two runs -- one earned -- in six innings during his third start since this season after spending most of the year on the disabled list.The Astros took a 1-0 lead in the first on an RBI double off the wall by Gurriel.Brad Miller walked to start the second before Wilson Ramos reached on catcher's interference. Dickerson's two-out single scored Miller to tie it at 1.Altuve's solo homer into the bullpen in right-center with one out in the third put Houston's on top 2-1.Snell walked Jake Marisnick with no outs in the fifth before a single by Altuve. Bregman's RBI single came next to push the lead to 3-1 and chase Snell.
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