HOUSTON -- Despite a 10-year age gap, Astros rookies Alex Bregman and Yulieski Gurriel are facing some of the same challenges in adjusting to the majors.The pair showcased the skills that got them here Saturday night, combining for four hits and five RBI to help Houston beat the Tampa Bay Rays 6-2.The 22-year-old Bregman homered and had three RBI on Saturday night. The 2015 first-round draft pick has turned the corner, raising his average to .242 after batting .053 in his first 10 games following his promotion from Triple-A on July 25.The 32-year-old Gurriel added two doubles and collected the first two RBI of his major league career. Playing in his fifth game, it was the first time hed displayed the timely hitting that allowed him to pile up more than 1,000 RBI over 15 seasons in Cuba.He knows how to hit and I love how calm he is in the box and really in general, manager A.J. Hinch said. This stage is different for him entering than it is for a 21-, 22-, 23-year-old rookie. This guy has been on the international stage for a long time and you can tell by his maturity, by his calmness and how hes going about his business.Gurriel was glad to contribute but knows he still has a lot of work to do.I played in Cuba for many, many years and got used to the way they play there. But this is different, he said through an interpreter. This is the best league in the world. So adapting to this still is a process.Bregman connected off fellow rookie Blake Snell (4-7) in the third inning to make it 4-0. It was Bregmans fifth homer.Theres still a long way to go and improvements I can make, but Im just going to continue to work at it and continue to get better, Bregman said.Houston starter Dallas Keuchel (9-12) allowed nine hits and two runs in seven innings for his first career victory over the Rays. He entered 0-4 in six starts against them.Bobby Wilson hit a two-run homer in the fifth inning for the Rays, and Tim Beckham had three hits.Snell allowed a season-high nine hits and five runs -- four earned -- in three-plus innings for his third loss in four starts. He exited with a bruise on his lower left leg after being hit by a sharp grounder from Marwin Gonzalez to start the fourth.Snell didnt walk a batter after walking 13 over his last three starts. But that was about the only good news for the left-hander, who ended his streak of nine straight starts of allowing two earned runs or fewer. The streak was a franchise record for a rookie.I was thinking differently than what they were thinking, Snell said. I felt like they were in attack mode, swing mode, so I guess I should have been throwing more pitches out of the zone.Bregmans single in the fourth inning pushed the lead to 5-0.Corey Dickerson singled with no outs in the fifth before Wilsons home run, which smashed off the wall above the seats in left field and cut the lead to 5-2.The Rays didnt take advantage of a scoring opportunity in the sixth. Beckham singled with one out but was caught in a rundown when he tried to go to third on a single by Mikie Mahtook. Keuchel then struck out Steven Souza Jr. to end the threat.TRAINERS ROOMRays: RHP Alex Cobb (Tommy John surgery) allowed five hits and one run in four innings for Triple-A Durham in his eighth rehabilitation start on Saturday night. Cobbs last start in the majors came on Sept. 28, 2014.Astros: OF Colby Rasmus worked out on the field for the second straight day as he works to return after having surgery to remove a cyst in his ear Aug. 10. Theres no date set for his return yet, and the Astros are trying to decide if hell need a rehabilitation assignment before coming off the disabled list.UP NEXTRays: Chris Archer (7-17, 4.11) starts for Tampa Bay on Sunday. Hes 3-2 with a 1.31 ERA in six career starts against the Astros. Two of the three complete games in his career have come against Houston, including a one-hitter at Minute Maid Park last year.Astros: Doug Fister (12-8, 3.59) will start the series finale for Houston. Fister allowed three hits in seven scoreless innings in his last start, a 3-1 win over Pittsburgh.Wholesale Custom Astros Shirts .com) - The Montreal Canadiens embark on their first road trip of the season as they head out west to battle the Calgary Flames on Wednesday night. Cheap Astros Jerseys .J. -- Josh Cribbs was in the Pro Bowl in February and out of a job six months later. http://www.customastrosjersey.com/ . -- The boos poured down on Tom Brady and the New England Patriots at the end of a horrible first half. Custom Astros Jersey China . -- Golden State Warriors coach Mark Jackson asked his players a simple question during Fridays morning shootaround: How many of them had ever been on a team 14 games over . Custom Astros Jerseys . Just not the game. Kyle Palmieri scored two straight goals in the third period to rally the Anaheim Ducks past the Philadelphia Flyers 3-2 on Tuesday night.By now youve heard about San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick refusing to stand for the national anthem. He has said hell continue to sit until he sees a significant change in the treatment of people of color in our country.Reactions to Kaepernicks protest have been swift and strong, with many seeming to condemn the act without bothering to listen to the motivation.Some complained about him criticizing a country that has afforded him the opportunity to make millions of dollars playing football. Kaepernick said hes not speaking for himself but for those without a platform: Ive been blessed to be able to get this far and have the privilege of being in the NFL and making the kind of money I make and enjoy luxuries like that. I cant look in the mirror and see other people dying in the street that should have the same opportunities that Ive had and say, you know what, I can live with myself.Others have claimed that Kaepernicks act was disrespectful to U.S. troops. Kaepernick said he has great respect for our military, which has had his family and friends among its ranks. They fight for freedom, they fight for the people, they fight for liberty and justice, for everyone. Thats not happening. People are dying in vain because this country isnt holding their end of the bargain up.Ever since the story broke Friday night, it seems everyones been eager to give a take. NFL coaches and players -- including Drew Brees -- have weighed in with their criticisms of the act, the message or both. Some players have said they support his message, but not the forum.The NFL communitys discussions about Kaepernicks actions stand in stark contrast to the responses many players and coaches have given when asked about domestic abuse in the NFL. Some players reacted strongly to the video of Ray Rice knocking out his then-fiancee in an Atlantic City elevator. Some said theyd rather not have Greg Hardy in their locker room after photos surfaced of his then-girlfriends visible bruising the night of his alleged assault. But for the most part, when asked about incidents of domestic violence -- even those documented in photos or video -- players stay mum or claim they dont have enough information to criticize.Dr. Eric M. Carter, an associate professor of sociology at Georgetown College in Kentucky, spoke to the New York Times about the relative silence among pro athletes when it comes to hot-button issues like the Rice video. Why dont we see more collective action among athletes? said Carter. Because theyve got too much to lose individually, or at least they perceive they have too much to lose individually.Carter interviewed over 100 players for his 2009 book, Boys Gone Wild: Fame, Fortune and Deviance Among Professional Football Players and said job security is a big reason players keep quiet. I think its part of that We all have short careers, weve got to get what we want right now mentality. Weve got to protect ourselves, in that sense, Carter told the Times. Maybe it comes off as protecting their teammates, which is what we would all like to think, that theres this real social bond that exists among these guys, but maybe not so much as youd think.Were seeing that again now with Giants kicker Josh Brown, who has been suspended one game afterr a May 2015 arrest on a charge of assault in the fourth degree/domestic violence, for which he was suspended one game by the NFL on Wednesday.dddddddddddd Browns ex-wife told police that he had been physically violent with her in more than 20 instances over the past several years.Said Giants defensive end Jason Pierre Paul: Were all family around here. People have their own problems to handle. Hes still our brother and we look past it.Said Giants QB Eli Manning: I dont think there is a whole lot to say. To the team, if Josh wants to say something, he can explain his case. I dont know a whole lot of details about what happened. I know hes been suspended and thats about all I know.Said Giants guard Justin Pugh: Obviously, you have to be there for your teammate. I dont want to get too into it because I dont know all the details ... but all we can do is support our teammate and make sure were there for him.Pugh did get into the Kaepernick situation, though, tweeting about how hell be sure to stand for the anthem.Ben McAdoo, who said shortly after taking over the Giants head-coaching gig that he wouldnt tolerate domestic violence, has made one statement on Browns abusive incident: I do support Josh as a man, a father and a player.Yet McAdoo had plenty to say about Kaepernicks protest on Monday, including this: Id be disappointed if one of our guys chose not to stand. Kaepernick speaking up for those without a voice is disappointing, but Brown earns McAdoos full support. Huh.It may not be surprising that while Browns coach and teammates are unwilling to speak out against him, no one else in the league has criticized the Giants, either, for re-signing their kicker to a two-year deal.Back in 2014, even Kaepernick himself played the not my business card when asked about the release of teammate Ray McDonald the day it was learned he was being investigated on suspicion of sexual assault. McDonald had previously been investigated for domestic violence.Hes a good friend to a lot of people on this team. No one thought bad of him, Kaepernick said then. Hopefully its just a misunderstanding. ... I understand why the team did what it did. Other than that, its not my business.Violence against women, like racial oppression, should be everyones business. And we should be able to talk freely about these issues.The fact that players are jumping at the chance in 2016 to speak out about Kaepernicks protest proves its not just about the desire to keep quiet for the sake of job security. The key is whether theyre willing to listen to the disenfranchised, be it a survivor of domestic abuse or a target of police brutality.I look forward to the day when people stand up and demand justice for people with the same passion they display in defending symbols. After all, whats the point of defending the American flag if youre not invested in protecting the very people it represents? Whats the use in defending the freedoms our anthem promises if youre not willing to listen to those who arent truly free?Standing for the anthem is easy because its expected. Loving your country enough to want to make it better is real patriotism. ' ' '