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Today · 6:10 PM ETLineup pendingAL West / AL East

Houston Astros   vs   Tampa Bay Rays Preview

September 12, 2026

Starting pitchers, lineup status, recent form and weather at Tropicana Field.

6:10 PM ET · Tropicana FieldStats availableLineups not confirmed
T-Score51
Houston Astros
75–72 · 1st AL West · T-Score 51
–
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First pitch 6:10 PM ET
Tampa Bay Rays
87–59 · 1st AL East · T-Score 70
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T-Score70
First pitch 6:10 PM ET

Matchup at a glance

PitcherStat calculation
CategoryComparisonWhy
Starting pitcherEvenBoth starters enter with comparable season profiles; neither holds a meaningful statistical advantage.
Offense vs handRaysTampa has produced the stronger offense against right-handed pitching.
Team strengthRaysTampa leads 70–51 in T-Score, driven by stronger offense.
WeatherLow impactWeather conditions are expected to have little effect on the normal scoring environment.

Starting pitchers

HOU
Peter Lambert RHP
Peter Lambert
Houston Astros
2026 season (MLB rank among qualified starters)
ERA
3.67
73rd
WHIP
1.23
80th
K/9
8.83
74th
BB/9
3.61
145th
P-Score62i
FIP
3.89
HR/9
0.90
59th
OPS/R
0.726
IP
139.2
2026 ERA splits
Home ERA4.03
Road ERA3.00
Last 5 starts
TB
Ian Seymour LHP
Ian Seymour
Tampa Bay Rays
2026 season (MLB rank among qualified starters)
ERA
4.33
129th
WHIP
1.16
56th
K/9
10.83
15th
BB/9
2.55
57th
P-Score68i
FIP
4.10
HR/9
1.70
199th
OPS/R
0.681
IP
116.1
2026 ERA splits
Home ERA3.82
Road ERA4.96
Last 5 starts
How the starters differ
·Seymour strikes out 2.0 more batters per nine innings.
·Lambert allows the lower home-run rate: 0.90 vs 1.70 per nine.
·Seymour walks 1.1 fewer batters per nine innings.
·Lambert enters with a 3.67 ERA compared with Seymour's 4.33.
Advanced starter metricsERA−, FIP, WAR, career vs opponent
MetricLambertSeymourNote
ERA−89103Park- and league-adjusted; 100 is average.
FIP3.894.10
WAR2.21.3Season value.

How the lineups match the starters' pitch mix

Pitch data coverage: partial. Usage and velocity only.

Lambert arsenal
PitchUsageVelo
Four-seam31%93.9
Changeup24%86.9
Slider12%85.6
Cutter10%91.6
Sinker10%93.4
Sweeper8%82.8
Slurve5%80.2
Curveball0%77.8
Seymour arsenal
PitchUsageVelo
Changeup29%83.4
Four-seam27%91.4
Sweeper20%81.6
Sinker15%90.0
Slider6%83.2
Curveball1%72.7
Cutter1%87.1

Team OPS vs opposing starter's hand

Astros vs LHP (Ian Seymour)
14th
in MLB
0.711OPS
.600.700.800.9001.000
Rays vs RHP (Peter Lambert)
4th
in MLB
0.755OPS
.600.700.800.9001.000

Lineups

Lineup pendingOrder from the stored snapshot; treat as unofficial until the card is filed.Full lineup page →
Lineups not announced

Neither club has posted a batting order. Handedness composition, H-Score leaders and batter-vs-pitcher samples appear here as soon as the first order is filed — typically two to three hours before first pitch.

Team comparison

ResultsHOUHOU·TBTB
+20613th
Run differential
+22311th
75–72 Record87–59
Last 10 games
Houston Astros (0–0)
Tampa Bay Rays (0–0)
2026 head-to-head
Season Series
0—0
0 Games Played

Frequently asked

Who is starting for the Astros?+
Peter Lambert is listed as the starter.
Who is starting for the Rays?+
Ian Seymour is listed as the starter.
What time does the game start?+
6:10 PM ET at Tropicana Field.
Where is the game being played?+
Tropicana Field, home of the Tampa Bay Rays.
Are the lineups confirmed?+
Not yet. Orders appear here when they are posted.
How do the starters compare on P-Score?+
Peter Lambert is at 62; Ian Seymour is at 68. P-Score is PitcherStat's 0–100 season index for qualified starters.