The Houston Astros defeated the Tampa Bay Rays 2-0 on Sunday afternoon at Daikin Park to take two of three in the series.
Christian Walker hit his 20th home run of the season in the fourth inning, and Isaac Paredes added a solo shot in the sixth to provide all the offense needed. Peter Lambert worked six innings, and the bullpen of Steven Okert, Bryan King and Josh Hader finished the four-hit shutout.
The victory improved the Astros to 45-47 and left them one and a half games behind the AL West lead and one game out of the third wild-card spot. Manager Joe Espada said reaching .500 remains the immediate goal before the All-Star break.
First baseman Christian Walker noted that the recent stretch of good baseball makes the target feel more attainable. The Astros begin a six-game road trip to Washington and Texas on Monday.
