After being held to three hits in a frustrating loss on Friday night, the Tampa Bay Rays got back to their recent offensive ways on Saturday, rapping a season-high 18 hits, including five homers, in a 16-3 blasting of the Houston Astros.

Junior Caminero led the way with two homers, two doubles and five RBIs. Yandy Diaz, Jake Mangum — for the first time as a big-leaguer — and Josh Lowe also homered.

And the bigger news was that Zack Littell threw the Rays' first complete game in nearly four years, since Ryan Yarbrough did it on June 3, 2021, at Yankee Stadium. Littell threw 117 pitches; the Rays won with him starting for the seventh straight time.

The 18 hits were the Rays’ most in a game since Aug. 19, 2023. The five homers their most since April 29, 2023. The 16 runs matched their season high.

The Rays improved to 30-28 in winning for the ninth time in their last 11 games and 14th in 21, and they have a chance Sunday to win a fourth straight series.

The Astros took the lead when leadoff man Jeremy Pena hit Littell’s fourth pitch over the center-field fence, the first of four homers in the first three innings.

The Rays went ahead in the third. They got one when Josh Lowe singled, Christopher Morel doubled and Jose Caballero grounded out, then two more on Yandy Diaz’s homer to right-center, his eighth of the season.

The Astros came right back to tie it, as Zach Dezenzo led off with a single and Pena homered again.

The Rays grabbed the lead back when Junior Caminero hit his team-leading 12th homer to lead off the fourth to make it 4-3, and they added on from there.

They got one in the sixth when Caminero doubled and Jake Mangum followed with a single. Then they tacked on six in the seventh.

Doubles by Caballero, Brandon Lowe (extending his hitting streak to a career-high 13 games) and Caminero got them two runs. The first career homer by Mangum, the 29-year-old rookie, made it 9-3. After Curtis Mead walked, Josh Lowe also homered.

Trop sale an early sellout

The Rays’ charity yard sale at Tropicana Field on Saturday was a big hit and an early sellout, with some 75,000 assorted promotional and team-related items all sold in the first few hours thanks to a large turnout. The sale was held in advance of the June start of repairs to the hurricane-damaged stadium, with proceeds going to the Rays Baseball Foundation.

Executive director David Egles called it “an incredible success” and said the team appreciated the support:

“Every dollar raised today goes directly toward the impactful work we do in the community — from youth baseball programs to education and wellness initiatives across Tampa Bay. Thank you to everyone who showed up, shopped and gave back. Your support truly makes a difference."

Sunday: at Astros

2:10 p.m. ET, Daikin Park, Houston

Pitchers: Rays — RH Taj Bradley (4-4, 4.38); Astros — RH Hunter Brown (7-3, 2.00)

Info: raysbaseball.com

On deck

Monday: Off

Tuesday: vs. Rangers, 7:35 p.m. Rays — RH Drew Rasmussen (4-4, 2.33); Rangers — RH Nathan Eovaldi (4-3, 1.56)

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