Houston visits Tampa Bay on September 13, 2026, with first pitch at Tropicana Field set for 1:40 p.m. ET. The Rays (89-59) are pushing to lock up their playoff spot; the Astros (75-74) need every win they can get. Here’s everything you need: start time, where to watch, and the pitching matchup.
Game Info
- Matchup: Houston Astros vs. Tampa Bay Rays
- Date: September 13, 2026
- First Pitch: 1:40 p.m. ET
- Venue: Tropicana Field, St. Petersburg, FL
Where to Watch
🇺🇸 United States
- Space City Home Network / SCHN+ — Astros local broadcast; stream directly on the Space City app
- Rays.TV / WMOR — Rays local broadcast; stream on Rays.TV or via the MLB app (no local blackout)
- In Spanish: FOX Deportes, ESPN Deportes, Telemundo/UniMás/TUDN, Universo, Peacock
🇲🇽 Mexico — 11:40 a.m. CDMX
- Canal 5 — 55 regular-season games under the 2026–2028 deal
- NU9VE (Canal 9) — Sunday game of the week
- ESPN / Disney+ — ~6 games per week; Disney+ adds 6 additional games plus ESPN simulcast
- TUDN / Canal FOX — 5-game weekly package (Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, two Saturdays)
🇻🇪 Venezuela — 1:40 p.m. Caracas
- Televén — Free over-the-air, mainly weekends; free streaming on its mobile app
- 1BASEBALL — 24-hour baseball channel, up to 3 games a day; available on Simple, Inter, and NetUno GO
- ByM Sport — Six days a week via Inter and Simple
- IVC — Tuesday through Sunday
- ESPN / Disney+ — Live and replay
🇩🇴 Dominican Republic — 1:40 p.m. Santo Domingo
- Teleantillas Canal 10 — Free; one game daily, seven days a week — seventh consecutive season covering everything from Opening Day through the World Series, including the All-Star Game, Home Run Derby, and all of October
- ESPN / FOX / FS1 / FS2 / FOX Deportes
- 1BASEBALL — Via Altice
- teleantillas.com.do — Free stream
- MLB.TV
🇵🇷 Puerto Rico — 1:40 p.m. ET
- WAPA Deportes — Free; typically Friday, Saturday, and Sunday during the regular season; exclusive island broadcast of the All-Star Game and Home Run Derby
- MLB.TV
A Note on MLB.TV
MLB.TV remains an out-of-market product in the US. For 22 of 30 clubs, a separate in-market local subscription is available inside the MLB app (~$19.99/month or ~$99.99/season), which is blackout-free locally. Games exclusive to national partners — Netflix, NBC/Peacock, Apple TV, FOX, ESPN — are not included in MLB.TV; that’s a rights issue, not a technical blackout. No public blackout map exists for Latin American countries, so availability may vary.
Team Records
- Houston Astros: 75-74 (.503)
- Tampa Bay Rays: 89-59 (.601)
Starting Pitchers
- Houston — Hayden Wesneski (RHP): 5-1, 3.35 ERA, 1.03 WHIP, 36 strikeouts in 45.2 innings
- Tampa Bay — Freddy Peralta (RHP): 8-11, 4.82 ERA, 1.36 WHIP, 142 strikeouts in 153.0 innings — Dominican Republic 🇩🇴, from Moca
Keys to the Game
Tampa Bay holds a comfortable cushion in the playoff race at 89-59, while Houston at 75-74 is in must-win territory. On the mound, Wesneski has been sharp — a 3.35 ERA and a tidy 1.03 WHIP speak for themselves. Peralta has the strikeout stuff (142 Ks in 153 innings) but carries an 8-11 record and a 4.82 ERA into this one. The Astros will look to make him work early.
This article will be updated after the final out with the score, key plays, and a video recap.
