After a six-game road trip, the Houston Astros returned home for a three-game set versus the Chicago White Sox. Game one between the two franchises was on Tuesday, and Chicago took the early advantage in the series as the Astros lost 4-2, dropping their record to 36-30.
HOW IT HAPPENED:
Not much happened in the first inning. There was one hit recorded, and it was from Houston, as Jose Altuve reached on an infield single to third base. Outside of that, both starting pitchers recorded a strikeout.
Lance McCullers Jr began on the mound for the Astros and punched out Miguel Vargas to begin the second inning, then forced Edgar Quero into a fly out. With two outs, Kyle Teel walked and scored off an RBI double by Luis Robert Jr, giving the White Sox the early one-run lead.
After a three-up-three-down bottom of the second that included Victor Caratini hitting into a double play to end the inning. Chicago capitalized by putting up a couple more runs at the top of the next frame. Leadoff man, Mike Tauchman, doubled into right field. That hit was followed up with a pair of walks for Chase Meidroth and Andrew Benintendi to load the bases. After a flyout by Vargas, Quero drove in two more with a single into left field, giving the Sox the 3-0 lead.
Houston responded in the bottom of the third as Cam Smith led with a single out in right field. Jacob Melton struck out, but Jeremy Pena put him and Smith in scoring position with a double to left. Isaac Paredes secured the Astros’ first run with a sacrifice fly into center field, cutting the deficit to two.
Chicago got that run back at the top of the next inning when Roberts Jr hit a solo home run 362 feet over the left center field wall. McCullers finished out the rest of the fourth and all of the fifth inning before getting pulled for Bennett Sousa. McCullers Jr finished Tuesday’s game with six strikeouts, allowing four hits and four runs in five innings on the bump.
The White Sox’s starter, Shane Smith, went one inning longer than McCullers and allowed three more hits, but three fewer runs than the starter for the Astros. Grant Taylor would end up replacing Smith in the seventh.
Sousa, in his second and final inning of work, struck out two Sox batters and didn’t allow a hit to keep Houston within striking distance. Then, Seth Dubin appeared on the mound for Houston and punched two more batters to send it to the bottom of the eighth.
The Stros cut into their deficit a little more at the bottom of the frame, quickly loading the bases. Pena began with a single, Paredes walked, and Altuve singled into left field, all happening before their first out. Yainer Diaz hit a sacrifice fly to score Pena, but before Houston could score another run, Christian Walker swung and missed, and Jake Meyers flew out to make it a two-run game with one inning to go.
Kyler Ort came out to close the game for the Astros. The 33-year-old right-handed pitcher walked two batters, yet escaped the inning without giving up a run.
At the bottom of the ninth, Houston was down to their final three outs. The dreams of having a walk-off win or sending the game to extra innings were shut down quickly. Brandon Eisert was on the mound for Chicago, and he didn’t allow as Houston’s lineup went three-up-three-down, securing the 4-2 loss, putting the Astros’ record at 36-30. Caratini grounded out, Smith struck out, and Shane Whitcomb, who pinch hit for Melton, flew out into left field.
BIG NUMBER: 3
Through the first 66 games, the Astros and White Sox have played each other four times, and Chicago has gotten the better of Houston in three of them. In those losses, the Stros have scored four or fewer runs. The lone win featured eight runs and 13 hits by Houston.
PLAYER OF THE GAME: Luis Robert Jr.
Hitting in the seven-hole was Robert Jr, who went 2/4 on the night with two RBI. The double in the second and the home run in the fourth inning were the difference makers as the Astros lost 4-2 to the Sox. That loss dropped Houston’s record to 36-30 heading into the next game of the series.
UP NEXT: Game two between the Houston Astros and the Chicago White Sox is set for Wednesday, June 11th. The first pitch from Daikin Park is scheduled for 7:10 p.m., and the action can be heard on ESPN 103.7 Lafayette and 104.1 Lake Charles.