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The Houston Astros relied on their powerful offense to win 12 straight games.

On Tuesday night that offense went cold Authentic Michael Gallup Jersey , and their streak ended with a 2-1 loss to the Tampa Bay Rays.

The Astros went 1 for 6 with runners in scoring position to come up one victory shy of setting the franchise record for longest winning streak in franchise history. After averaging more than seven runs in their last 12 games, Houston managed just five singles to end a stretch of 34 straight games with at least one extra-base hit.

C.J. Cron homered early and Wilson Ramos hit a tiebreaking RBI single in the eighth inning to lift the Rays to the victory.

Blake Snell (9-4) allowed just three hits and one run in seven innings, but had to pitch around a career-high seven walks for his fifth straight win. Sergio Romo pitched for the third straight game, taking over with one out in the ninth and allowing one hit for his third save a night after blowing the save in Houston’s 5-4 win.

”We didn’t hit enough and we were shut down by a pretty good pitcher,” manager A.J. Hinch said. ”We kept putting up pretty decent at-bats, but that big hit just eluded us again. We kept fighting until the end but just didn’t have enough offense.”

Matt Duffy doubled to start the eighth and advanced to third on a groundout by Jake Bauers. The Rays took a 2-1 lead when the single by Ramos sailed just over the head of a leaping Yuli Gurriel and into left field to allow Duffy to score.

Cron snapped a career-long 0 for 23 slump with a solo homer with one out in the second inning to give Tampa Bay a 1-0 lead. It was the first hit since June 12 for Cron, who struck out 18 times during his hitless streak.

The Rays have struggled to win close games this season and had lost seven of their last eight games decided by one run before Tuesday’s win.

”Things kind of went our way,” manager Kevin Cash said. ”It’s amazing how those pop up in all those games but it’s nice to pull one out where there wasn’t any mistakes. The walks are the only thing that you’d like to have back but you’ll take the performance.”

Justin Verlander yielded six hits and one run while fanning 10 in 6 2/3 innings.

”It was a pretty good day for me, but it was a pretty good day for the other guy, too,” Verlander said. ”Classic pitchers’ duel. I wish we could’ve come out on top, but … it happens.”

Hector Rondon (1-2) took the loss by allowing two hits and one run in one inning.

The Astros had plenty of opportunities to score, but came up short again and again. They loaded the bases with one out in the first inning, but Carlos Gomez caught a fly ball hit by Evan Gattis and his throw home was in time to leave George Springer out at home to end the inning.

Springer was on second base with one out in the third inning when Bregman singled to send him home and tie it at 1-1. Bregman tried to stretch the hit into a double, but Gomez made a perfect throw from right field to leave him out at second.

Snell struck out the side in the fourth, capped by a three-pitch strikeout of Marwin Gonzalez that led to his ejection. Gonzalez argued with home plate umpire Pat Hoberg before throwing his bat and helmet and being tossed. He kept barking at Hoberg after the ejection and continued yelling at him until third base coach Gary Pettis pulled him away and pushed him toward the dugout.

Snell walked Alex Bregman and Carlos Correa with no outs in the sixth. But Gurriel grounded into a double play and Snell retired Tony Kemp after intentionally walking Gattis to leave Houston empty-handed.

Adeiny Hechavarria doubled with two outs in the seventh inning to chase Verlander. Hector Rondon took over and retired Kevin Kiermaier to end the inning. Kiermaier went 0 for 5 in his return after sitting out since April 15 after tearing a ligament in his right thumb which required surgery.

The Astros had a runner on first base with two outs in the seventh when Springer hit a long fly ball to right-center that Kiermaier nabbed as he leapt on the warning track before crashing into the wall of the bullpen.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Astros: RHP Joe Smith (right elbow inflammation) felt good after playing catch on Tuesday but likely won’t return from the disabled list until Houston’s next homestand, which begins on July 5.

TOP OF THE HEAP

Houston second baseman Jose Altuve led all players in fan voting for the All-Star game with 1,572,101 votes in the second update on voting released on Tuesday. The 2017 AL MVP leads the majors in hits (102) and average (.342) and was the first player to reach 100 hits this season.

”I think it’s well-deserved for someone who represents our game in exceptional fashion,” Hinch said. ”The voters are getting it right. He’s every bit what’s right about baseball. I’m happy he’s getting the recognition he deserves … he’s as perfect of a player as there is.”

UP NEXT

Tampa Bay’s Nathan Eovaldi (8-4 Youth Mark Walton Jersey , 2.58 ERA) opposes Houston’s Charlie Morton (8-1, 2.94) in the series finale on Wednesday night. Eovaldi, who grew up in suburban Houston, is 1-0 with a 2.52 ERA in four career starts against the Astros. Morton struck out nine in six innings of a win over Kansas City in his last start.

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EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) — Jonathan Stewart has been involved in 11 training camps during his NFL career, so the 31-year-old veteran running back knows the drill.

Regardless that Stewart signed a reported two-year, $6.9 million contract with the New York Giants as a free agent, he knows that nothing in the NFL is guaranteed.

“Every year, I feel like I’m fighting for a spot,” Stewart said after Sunday’s practice as the Giants prepare for their final preseason game Thursday night against New England. “I think everyone is battling. Every time I step onto the field, I’m trying to put my best foot forward.”

So far, the Giants have yet to see any of the ability that enabled Stewart to stay in the league so long. He had amassed 7,318 yards rushing and 51 touchdowns in 10 years with the Carolina Panthers.

Stewart’s preseason performance of a total of minus-5 yards on 10 rushing attempts should be cause for concern to some — but not Stewart.

“I think the preseason is a time to work on our craft,” Stewart said. “I’m still trying to jell with the first team. I’m trying not to dwell on certain things.”

One of those things was a fumble on one of his carries against the New York Jets on Friday night.

“I didn’t hold on to the ball like I should,” Stewart said. “I have to learn to bounce back from my mistakes. Not everything can go your way. I had a good offseason in terms of training. I think it has been a good preseason for me. I’ve been getting a good amount of practice reps.”

That number will decrease now that rookie Saquon Barkley, the team’s No. 1 draft pick out of Penn State and the No. 2 overall pick in the draft, returned to practice full time Sunday. Barkley has been held out most of the past two weeks after tweaking a hamstring in practice.

“He’s a very talented guy,” Stewart said of Barkley. “He’s a physical specimen. You don’t see many running backs of that caliber. He’s like nothing I’ve ever seen. It’s a great sign that he’s back. He’s a workaholic. When he got hurt, he was looking to get back as quick as possible.”

Barkley is back and projected to be the starting tailback. Second-year player Wayne Gallman Jr., the team’s fourth-round selection in the 2017 draft who rushed for 476 yards and caught 34 passes as a rookie Tim Williams Jersey , has been impressive in the preseason and is probably ahead of Stewart on the depth chart.

Giants’ first-year head coach Pat Shurmur isn’t too concerned about Stewart’s preseason and doesn’t sound like a coach who is ready to give up on Stewart.

“Jonathan is a pro,” Shurmur said. “I know how his offseason training has gone for him. I trust Jonathan and I trust that he will be productive for us.”

Shurmur also knows that the Giants have not run the ball effectively in the preseason.

“When you don’t run the ball well, it’s the whole team’s fault,” Shurmur said. “When you don’t run the ball well early in the game, that sets the tone for the rest of the game. It’s a team thing to work on the running game. It’s not just one person. “

The Giants might have lost a key player during practice Sunday when starting outside linebacker Olivier Vernon went down with an apparent left ankle injury and had to be taken off the practice field on a cart.

“He just went inside the block and went over on his ankle,” Shurmur said. “He’s being evaluated right now.”

The Giants also welcomed back starting tight end Evan Engram, who left Friday night’s preseason game with the Jets with what was initially diagnosed as a concussion.

The second-year pass catcher, who had 64 receptions and six touchdowns as a rookie, was on the field running and riding the stationary bicycle Sunday, but was not involved with any contact, because he’s still in the NFL’s concussion protocol.

NOTES: The Giants traded center Brett Jones to the Vikings for a 2019 draft pick. … WR Odell Beckham, Jr. has not seen any action yet in the preseason, but he looks healthy in practice and was actually joking around Sunday returning punts in some drills. … With the trade of Jones, Jon Halapio is entrenched as the team’s starter at center, but John Greco slides in as the No. 2 center on the depth chart. … Linebacker Ray-Ray Armstrong continues to impress in the preseason and looks as if he has earned a spot on the roster. If Armstrong makes the cut, it means that three of the Giants linebackers this season were members of the Los Angeles Rams a year ago, joining Alec Ogletree and Connor Barwin.