Rays Get Rare Complete Game Win From Zack Littell In 16-3 Blowout of Astros

HOUSTON, Texas — There were plenty of offensive storylines in Tampa Bay's 16-3 blowout win of the Houston Astros on Saturday. They tied a season high with the 16 runs, and set season marks with five home runs and 18 hits. Junior Caminero hit two homers and also had two doubles.

That's all good, but that's not THE story.

No, the big news of the day is that start Zack Littell pitched a complete game, his first in the majors, allowing just three runs in nine innings — and none in the last six. He threw a career-high 117 pitches. That's amazing stuff, almost as amazing as Tampa Bay manager Kevin Cash leaving him in long enough to do it.

It was the first Rays complete game since Ryan Yarbrough did it in June 3, 2021. And it's only the fourth-ever since Cash took over the team in 2015. (Matt Andreas in 2016 and Chris Archer in 2015 are the two others.)

"He was outstanding,'' Cash said in his postgame press conference. "The way it started, with the two home runs (both by Houston shortstopJeremy Pena) and those three early runs, I was wondering how we would get him through five (innings). The offense certainly helped out a lot, but Lit really stayed efficient and kept the pitch count down. Houston has been very aggressive during this series, and Lit used that to his advantage.''

Littell was at 96 pitches through eight innings, but Cash sent him out to finish up the deal anyway. He needed 21 pitches to end it, getting through a bases-loaded jam with strikeout to end the game. He threw 103 pitches against Houston two weeks ago, but only lasted five innings. His previous high as a Rays starter was 107 against the Los Angeles Angels in April 2024.

"He was probably at his last batter there,'' Cash said. ''But we really wanted it for him. The dugout erupted with he got (the complete game) and they're eruping (in the locker room) right now, too.''

All nine starters had at least one hit for the Rays, and that's the fourth time they've done that in the past week during this hot 9-2 streak that's put them two games over .500 at 30-28. Only the New York Yankees have four such games this season, and the Rays only did it four times all of last year.

"Everybody's seeing the ball well and not chasing,'' Cash said. "They're hitting the ball hard and staying in the zone. It's nice to see right now.''

It was especially nice after only getting three hits against Houston ace Framber Valdez in a 2-1 loss Friday night. Saturday's rout was more reminiscent of Thursday's 13-3 win, when the Rays scored five runs twice, in both the seventh and eighth innings.

Saturday, the big inning was the seventh, where they scored six runs to take an 11-3 lead. They added three more in the eighth and two in the ninth, pummeling the Houston bullpen. The Rays hit five home runs, a season high.

Caminero was 4-for-5 with 5 RBIs, and was 3-for-6 with six RBIs on Thursday. He's hit five home runs since last Saturday, and driven in 17 runs.

Five Rays had multiple hits. Jose Caballero had two hits and two RBIs, Yandy Diaz was 3-for-5 with a homer and three RBIs, Jake Mangum had three hits and his first major-league homer and Josh Lowe was 3-for-4 with two RBIs.

The Rays clinched the season series against Houston, going 4-2 this far. The two teams will wrap up their meetings on Sunday, with right-handler Taj Bradley (4-4, 4.38 ERA taking on Houston's Hunter Brown (7-3, 2.00 ERA). The two squared off on May 21 in Tampa, with the Rays winning 8-4.

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