TAMPA (Interstat) — The Tampa Bay Rays completed a three-game sweep of the Houston Astros with a 14-4 victory Sunday afternoon at George Steinbrenner Field, riding five hitless innings from Freddy Peralta and an early offensive burst that removed any suspense from the series finale. Tampa Bay won its Major League-leading and franchise-record 15th sweep of the season, improved to 90-60 and handed Houston a third straight loss. The Astros fell to 76-75. The game took 2 hours, 39 minutes and drew 18,718.

The Rays had already clinched a postseason berth Friday and then took the final two games of the series against Houston before finishing the sweep. The win kept Tampa Bay atop the American League East and continued a strong stretch against leading teams. Houston, which leads the AL West, dropped to 76-75 and will return home for a series against Kansas City. The Rays will host the Athletics next.

Houston had won two of three at Philadelphia before the series, including a 6-5 victory Sept. 8 and a 7-11 loss Sept. 9, then won 2-1 Sept. 10. The Astros had lost two close games in Tampa Bay, 3-1 Friday and 3-2 Saturday. Tampa Bay had won two of three at Atlanta, taking 7-1 and 7-2 decisions before losing the finale 3-1. The Rays then clinched a playoff spot Friday against Houston.

Peralta improved to 9-11. He walked three, struck out four and did not allow a hit over five innings. His only real trouble came in the third, when he walked Christian Walker and Taylor Trammell and later issued a two-out walk to Yordan Alvarez. Junior Caminero fielded Isaac Paredes’ grounder and threw to first to end the threat. Hayden Wesneski fell to 5-2 as the losing pitcher. Peralta’s recent form had been strong, including a win at Atlanta on Sept. 8 with six innings of one-run ball.

Tampa Bay set the tone in the first. Yandy Díaz singled, Junior Caminero doubled and Victor Mesa Jr. tripled to right field to score two. Chandler Simpson’s groundout brought home Mesa for a 3-0 lead. Jonny DeLuca struck out to end the inning. Houston went down in order in the first on Jeremy Peña’s popout, Yordan Alvarez’s strikeout and Isaac Paredes’ groundout.

Houston managed little against Peralta early. Jose Altuve popped out, Yainer Diaz struck out and Daulton Varsho popped out in the second. In the fourth, Altuve popped out again, Diaz lined out and Varsho flew out. Peralta retired the side in the fifth on a flyout by Christian Walker, a groundout by Cam Smith and a strikeout by Taylor Trammell.

The Rays broke the game open in the third. Jonathan Aranda walked and Mesa singled before Chandler Simpson’s fielder’s choice forced Aranda at home. Jonny DeLuca reached on an error by shortstop Jeremy Peña, allowing Mesa to score. Richie Palacios followed with a three-run homer to right, pushing the lead to 7-0. Nick Madrigal singled later in the inning, but Nick Fortes flew out to end the rally.

Aranda added a solo homer in the fourth, Mesa doubled and Chandler Simpson singled home Mesa for a 9-0 advantage. In the fifth, Nick Madrigal singled and Nick Fortes hit a two-run homer to left for an 11-0 lead. Houston’s first hit came in the sixth when Paredes homered to left after Nick Allen walked, cutting the deficit to 11-2. Altuve flew out and Diaz struck out later in the sixth.

Tampa Bay answered in the seventh. Palacios singled, Yandy Díaz singled him home and Aranda crushed a two-run homer to right-center for the final Tampa Bay runs. Ryan Vilade struck out to end the inning. Aranda finished 2-for-4 with two homers and three RBIs. Palacios went 2-for-4 with a homer and three RBIs. Mesa was 3-for-5 with a triple, double and two RBIs. Fortes went 1-for-3 with a two-run homer. Yandy Díaz added two hits and an RBI, and Chandler Simpson drove in two runs.

Houston’s late power did little to change the outcome. Nick Allen, a pinch-hitter, homered in the eighth, and Nelson Velázquez followed with a pinch-hit homer. Paredes walked later in the eighth, but Altuve grounded out, Diaz walked and LaMonte Wade Jr. grounded out. Jorge Barrosa doubled in the ninth, but Cam Smith popped out, Taylor Trammell grounded out and Nick Allen popped out to first to end the game. Allen finished 1-for-2 with a homer and an RBI, while Velázquez also went 1-for-2 with a homer and an RBI.

The Astros finished with four hits, while Tampa Bay had 15. Houston also drew six walks but left several runners on base. Houston’s best chance against Peralta came in the third, when Walker and Trammell walked and Alvarez walked with two outs. Paredes grounded to Caminero, who made the play and throw to first to strand all three runners.

Ronel Blanco pitched 4 1/3 innings in relief for Houston, allowing five hits and five earned runs while striking out three. Steven Matz worked a scoreless inning for Tampa Bay, allowing one hit. The Rays’ bullpen finished the game after Peralta’s no-hit start. Tampa Bay relievers allowed four hits and four runs, all after the fifth inning.

The outcome was never in question after Tampa Bay’s fast start. The Rays scored three in the first, four in the third, two in the fourth, two in the fifth and three in the seventh. Houston scored twice in the sixth and twice in the eighth. Peralta’s no-hit bid was the central story until he departed after five innings, and the Rays’ power made sure the Astros never threatened to make it close.

Tampa Bay’s sweep was its 15th of the season, a franchise record and the most in the majors. The Rays improved to 50-25 at home. The Astros, who had won two of three at Philadelphia before arriving in Tampa Bay, lost their third straight game and fell to 76-75. Houston had beaten Tampa Bay 10-8 in Houston on July 4 and 2-0 on July 5, but the Rays won the final two meetings of that series and took all three in this one.

The Rays were the first AL team to reach 90 wins this season. Their next homestand will begin Tuesday against the Athletics. Houston will open a series against Kansas City on Tuesday at home.

Interstat’s game simulator had projected a final score of Tampa Bay Rays 6, Houston Astros 4. Interstat’s ELO system had projected Tampa Bay with a 58.7 percent probability to win. Tampa Bay had been installed as a pregame favorite with a spread of -1.5. The total score of 18 went under the over-under line of 7.5.