ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- Pitching in the majors for the first time in five weeks, Jake Odorizzi outdueled Houston Astros ace Dallas Keuchel, leading the Tampa Bay Rays to a 3-0 victory on Saturday at Tropicana Field.

Odorizzi, out since June 5 with an oblique injury, held the Astros to two hits in 5 2/3 scoreless innings and the Rays' bullpen stepped up for the second day in a row, throwing 3 1/3 innings of scoreless relief.

"Any runs off Keuchel, we've got to make the most out of," said Odorizzi, who drew an ovation from the crowd of 18,479 when he walked off the mound in the sixth. "He's an All-Star for a reason. We got to him ... I just wanted to go out there and put together some shutdown innings, and that's what we were able to do."

The Astros (49-41) have scored four runs in the last five games, all losses. They went 0-for-5 with runners in scoring position, stranding eight, after going 0-for-4 in the same situations in Friday's 3-1 loss.

"It's hard to describe. One of the more unexplainable things is when a team gets into a little bit of a team-wide rut like this," Houston manager A.J. Hinch said. "We had a couple of opportunities, but right now, it feels like we have to be perfect to scratch across some runs. That's not a good recipe to try to beat a good pitcher like Odorizzi."

Tampa Bay (45-45) won with dominating pitching and just enough offense for the second day in a row, getting a clutch two-out single from catcher Rene Rivera with the bases loaded in the second and an RBI single from outfielder Brandon Guyer.

"It's good for (Rivera) because he's grinded it out and it's been a long half for him offensively," manager Kevin Cash said of Rivera, hitting .185 even after a 2-for-3 day. "He stays positive, keeps the energy up and when he does get those big hits, it is nice to see."

The Rays' win could be offset by a hamstring injury to shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera, who left the game in the second inning. The severity of his injury was unknown. Cash said the team would know more Sunday.

Houston has been in first place in the American League West for 83 consecutive days, but the loss put them in a virtual tie with the Los Angeles Angels (47-39) before the Angels played Saturday night.

Keuchel (11-4) had won three straight decisions, allowing three runs, before losing Saturday.

The Rays, who threw their eighth shutout of 2015, had dropped 15 of 18 before beating the Astros on Friday, and they'll face them Sunday in the final game before the All-Star Game with another newly returned starter in left-hander Matt Moore, whose last start was his first in nearly 15 months after Tommy John surgery.

"(Odorizzi) has a lot of pitches that you have to account for," Hinch said. "I thought he did a good job of mixing and matching. He broke out a couple of curveballs, had a couple of changeups, mixed in two different sliders.

"He's sort of the definition of a pitcher when he can move the ball around the plate. We never really broke through on him. We had him on the ropes a couple times and the two-out hit eludes us again. He did a good job of hanging in there and getting it to his bullpen."

Tampa Bay's bullpen trio of Jake McGee, Kevin Jepsen and Brad Boxberger pitched three scoreless innings for the second game in a row, with Boxberger again throwing a hitless ninth to post his 22nd save of the season.

The Rays got all three runs on four hits in the second inning, starting with second baseman Logan Forsythe's single. The rest came with two outs, with Cabrera hitting a double and outfielder Jake Elmore walking to load the bases.

Rivera came through with a two-run single for a 2-0 lead and Guyer added an RBI single for the 3-0 lead.

NOTES: RHP Jake Odorizzi (oblique) was activated from the 15-day disabled list to start, and the Rays sent RHP Andrew Bellatti to Triple-A Durham to make room. With Odorizzi activated, the Rays are down to six players on the disabled list, their lowest total since opening the season with the same number. ... With starter Chris Archer and closer Brad Boxberger going to the All-Star Game, the Rays have had eight pitchers make the All-Star team since 2008, the fourth most in the majors. Of the six others, only RHP Matt Moore is still with the team. ... The Astros reinstated RHP Chad Qualls from the 15-day disabled list before Friday's game, optioning LHP Brett Oberholtzer to Triple-A Fresno. Qualls pitched 2/3 inning and did not allow a run Friday. ... Houston had been 10-0 when OF Colby Rasmus hit a home run, but that streak ended with the 3-1 loss Friday.