Freddy Peralta, Jonathan Aranda help Rays beat Astros 14-4 to sweep series

By: The Associated Press Posted: 3:45 PM CDT Sunday, Sep. 13, 2026

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — Freddy Peralta pitched five hitless innings, and Jonathan Aranda hit two of Tampa Bay's four home runs to help the Rays finish off a three-game sweep of the Houston Astros with a 14-4 victory on Sunday.

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ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — Freddy Peralta pitched five hitless innings, and Jonathan Aranda hit two of Tampa Bay’s four home runs to help the Rays finish off a three-game sweep of the Houston Astros with a 14-4 victory on Sunday.

Peralta (9-11) walked three and threw 86 pitches for the Rays, who became the first AL team to reach 90 wins this season. The right-hander won his fourth straight start and has surrendered two runs over his last 23 innings.

Victor Mesa Jr. had three of the Rays’ 15 hits. He had a two-run triple in the first inning off Hayden Wesneski (5-2) before scoring on Chandler Simpson’s groundout to give Tampa Bay the lead for good.

Tampa Bay Rays pitcher Freddy Peralta delivers to the Houston Astros during the first inning of a baseball game Sunday, Sept. 13, 2026, in St. Petersburg, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)

Every Rays starter had at least one hit and scored at least one run.

Richie Palacios hit his 10th homer — a three-run shot for a 7-0 lead after shortstop Jeremy Peña dropped a two-out pop-up to extend the third inning.

Aranda hit a one-out solo shot off Enyel De Los Santos in the fourth before adding his 21st home run this season in the seventh — a two-run shot off Ronel Blanco. Nick Fortes hit his fifth homer — a two-run shot in the fifth off Blanco to make it 11-0.

Isaac Paredes hit a two-run homer in the sixth — his 21st — for Houston’s first hit. It came against Brody Hopkins, who replaced Peralta in his major league debut and walked Nick Allen on four pitches.

Allen hit his third homer and Nelson Velázquez added his sixth as the pair hit back-to-back solo shots off Casey Legumina in the eighth.

Wesneski gave up seven runs — three earned — on six hits in three innings.