With family and friends in attendance, Austin Pruitt pitched into the seventh, combining with Steve Cishek, Dan Jennings and Alex Colome to throw a five-hit shutout, and Logan Morrison's first-inning homer proved to be all the offense needed for the Tampa Bay Rays, shutting out Dallas Keuchel and the Houston Astros 3-0 Wednesday at Minute Maid Park
For the second straight game, Tampa Bay jumped on Houston's starter in the first inning, with Trevor Plouffe reaching on a base hit, taking second on a groundout by Evan Longoria, and scoring when Morrison unloaded on Keuchel for his 28th homer of the season to make it 2-0.
The Rays added a two-out rally in the third as Keuchel walked Wilson Ramos and allowed a single by Adeiny Hechaverria before Brad Miller capped the scoring with a run-scoring base hit.
That would be plenty for Pruitt (6-2), who worked an out into the seventh inning, allowing just five hits and a walk in an 85-pitch outing. The right-hander was followed by Cishek, who nearly finished the eighth, but had to leave after commiting a throwing error to extend the inning. Jennings then got pinch-hitter Evan Gattis to pop out to end the inning, and Alex Colome allowed a walk, but maintained the shutout to earn his league-leading 32nd save of the year.
The win gets the Rays back to three games above .500 at 56-53.
Tampa Bay can win the series and finish the road trip at .500 with a victory in Thursday's finale, as Blake Snell (0-6, 4.87 ERA) takes on Collin McHugh (0-0, 4.22 ERA). First pitch is scheduled for 8:10, with coverage on WDAE beginning at 7:00 with The Inside Pitch, presented by Sykes Lakeland.