The 2023 season opened at home for the defending World Champion Houston Astros as they hosted the Chicago White Sox at Minute Maid Park. The Sox were able to get their three runs in the final two innings of the game to end the Astros’ Opening Day win streak at 10 years with a 3-2 victory over Houston.
HOW IT HAPPENED:
It was a pitchers’ duel for the first six and a half innings of this one, with the first run not coming until the bottom of the seventh when Yordan Alvarez was able to score on a wild pitch with the bases loaded to give the Astros a 1-0 lead.
Chicago answered quickly with a solo shot to right center by Yasmani Grandal to tie the game at 1-1 in the eighth inning.
In the ninth, the White Sox took the lead on a two-run double by Andrew Vaughn to score a pair and make it 3-1 Chicago.
Yordan Alvarez cut into the lead in the bottom of the ninth, launching a home run into right field to make it 3-2 late in the game. The White Sox were able to hang on and take Game 1 of the series 3-2.
BIG NUMBER: 2
The Astros gave up a pair of crucial runs in the top of the ninth on a double by Andrew Vaughn that rolled all the way to the wall and scored Tim Anderson and Luis Robert Jr.
PLAYER OF THE GAME: Dylan Cease
Cease started his season with 6.1 innings, only giving up two hits and one run while striking out 10 in the contest.
UP NEXT: Houston and Chicago will continue the series at Minute Maid Park Friday with a first pitch scheduled for 7:10 p.m.