The Astros’ staff allowed just 7.4 hits per nine innings, the fewest in the majors. But Verlander, Cole and Greinke did serve up 86 homers — 36 by Verlander, including one to the first batter he faced on opening day: the Rays’ Austin Meadows. Cole allowed homers this season to Diaz and Ji-Man Choi, and Greinke to Meadows and Travis d’Arnaud.

“If we can provide enough offense to get ahead in the game and hand over the game to our bullpen, we have a shot,” said the Rays’ infielder Matt Duffy. “We rely on our pitching. That’s our strength of our team. They’re going to carry us most days.”

Besides Morton, who threw nearly 200 innings, the Rays will probably not push anyone beyond 75 pitches. Tyler Glasnow will start Game 1 and Blake Snell Game 2, but both dealt with injuries for much of the second half, and neither reached five innings or 70 pitches in September.

Even so, the Rays will take what they can get: Glasnow had a 1.78 E.R.A. in 12 starts this season, and Snell beat out Verlander for the A.L. Cy Young Award last season.

“We have all the confidence in the world in our bullpen and our starting pitching,” said the pitching coach, Kyle Snyder. “They’ve done a tremendous job all year — whether it’s preventing home runs or striking people out. I feel like we can measure up very well against that club.”

Though Morton needed 94 pitches to survive five innings on Wednesday, he pumped 98 mile-an-hour fastballs in the first inning and later induced two double plays. The A’s managed no earned runs off Morton and looked feeble against the relievers Diego Castillo, Nick Anderson and Emilio Pagan, fanning eight times in the last four innings.

Anderson — a former independent leaguer who arrived from Miami in a trade this July — has struck out 45 of the 83 batters he has faced with the Rays. Pagan has thrived with impeccable control: 38 strikeouts and one walk since July 30.