HOUSTON — On Sunday Ted Hendricks Jersey , it was shortstop Carlos Correa who played a pivotal role in keeping Houston’s winning streak alive, belting a game-tying home run in the eighth inning as the Astros subsequently rolled to an 11th consecutive victory by rallying past the Kansas City Royals.
Houston (48-25) relied on a number of contributors to complete a 10-0 road trip through Texas, Oakland and Kansas City, with Correa following Evan Gattis, Max Stassi, Brian McCann and an assortment of others in striking the decisive blow to keep the line moving.
The Astros have benefited from a resurgent offense and exceptional work from their bullpen to set a pace as the hottest team in the majors, with their stellar road trip underscoring their might.
“This was incredible just by the way we played and the way we completed games,” Astros manager A.J. Hinch said. “Obviously De'Anthony Thomas Jersey , winning every game is incredible. We did it in a lot of different ways and so we want to keep the same intent and the same mentality that we’ve been playing with. It’s been pretty remarkable.
“It’s hard to put into words. It’s been somebody different every night. We’ve had good pitching; we’ve had good defense. We’ve rallied late, we’ve blown guys out early, so we’re in a good place right now and we’ve got to continue to do that going home.
“It was a long trip. We played in some hot weather. It’s a pretty resilient group to keep playing well and coming up with enough runs to win.”
Now the Astros return to Minute Maid Park to start a nine-game homestand on Monday against the Tampa Bay Rays. After improving to 29-11 on the road, the Astros are aiming to elevate their play at home, where they’ve been only slightly better than pedestrian (19-14).
“Hopefully, we can go home and keep grinding and keep playing the way we’ve been playing,” Correa said.
Right-hander Gerrit Cole (8-1, 2.40 ERA) gets the starting nod for the Astros. Cole will face the Rays for the first time in his career. He allowed a season-high four runs in his previous start Matt Schaub Jersey , working six innings and getting six strikeouts in a 13-5 win at Oakland on June 13.
Cole is 4-0 with a 3.89 ERA in his previous six starts, surrendering eight home runs during that stretch.
Right-hander Ryan Stanek (1-1, 2.55) will start the series opener for the Rays. It will mark the sixth start and 16th appearance of the season for Stanek, who has yet to face the Astros.
After working out of the bullpen three times in his first four appearances this month, Stanek logged consecutive abbreviated starts against the Toronto Blue Jays and New York Yankees on June 12 and 16, respectively.
Stanek’s outing against the Astros will mark the third consecutive bullpen day for the Rays (33-38), who claimed the finale of a four-game set in New York on Sunday behind 4 2/3 innings from right-hander Wilmer Font and four additional relievers.
The Rays welcomed back shortstop Adeiny Hechavarria from the 10-day disabled list, with Hechavarria finishing 3-for-4 with a run scored against the Yankees.
Hechavarria DeSean Jackson Jersey , who missed nearly a month with a right hamstring strain, is expected to play behind rookie Willy Adames and could be showcased as a trade chip in advance of the nonwaiver trade deadline.
The Bengals agreed to a one-year deal with often-injured tight end Tyler Eifert and a three-year deal with punter Kevin Huber on Thursday, holding onto two of their unrestricted free agents.
Eifert has been hurt during much of his five-year career in Cincinnati. He was sidelined for half of the 2016 season because of an ankle injury and a problem with a disc in his back that required surgery. He aggravated his back early last season and went on an injury list after two games.
"Couldn't be happier to stay home in Cincinnati," Eifert tweeted . "The last five years have been tough at times but every day I have been proud to be on the @Bengals."
The Bengals took Eifert with the 21st overall choice in the 2013 draft, hoping his pass receiving skills would upgrade their offense. He's been one of Andy Dalton's favorite targets, especially near the goal line, but has been severely limited by injuries in three of his five seasons.
The Bengals finished last in the NFL in offense last season for the first time in their history.
Eifert caught 39 passes for 445 yards and two touchdowns in 15 games as a rookie. The following year, he hurt his shoulder during training camp and dislocated an elbow in the opener A.J. Klein Jersey , ending his season. He returned and had his best season in 2015, caching 52 passes for 615 yards and 13 touchdowns, a franchise record for a tight end.
He made the Pro Bowl that season and tore a ligament in his ankle during the game, requiring surgery. He returned and played in eight games in 2016, making 29 catches for 394 yards and five touchdowns, but an injured back disc ended the season and resulted in more surgery.
Huber has spent all 10 seasons with Cincinnati. He had 32 punts inside the 20-yard line last season, fourth in the NFL.