LDN - Sports

Preview: White Sox at Astros

[September 19, 2017] Gracenote

With their first division title since 2001 secured, the Houston Astros set their sights on trying to finish with the American League's best record as they begin a three-game series Tuesday against the visiting Chicago White Sox. Houston, which seemingly had the AL's top mark locked up until AL Central champion Cleveland won 22 straight contests, trails the Indians by 1 1/2 games.

"Cleveland is playing excellent baseball," Astros designated hitter Carlos Beltran told reporters after Houston clinched the AL West crown with a 7-1 victory over Seattle on Sunday. "Now, you know, we have these games to hopefully make a run and try to get that (best record) back. That's the mentality right now." The Astros will have time to rest their key players with three days off between the end of the regular season and opening its AL Division Series on Oct. 5, so don't look for manager A.J. Hinch's club to take its foot off the pedal. "We're going to stay locked in," Hinch told reporters. "We can't let up mentally. We've got to be prepared to play in October. We get a little bit of a head start. A couple of teams have clinched before us, but we've got a pretty good head start to get ready for October." The Astros' Collin McHugh begins a three-start stretch that hopefully has him playoff-ready after an injury-filled regular season and opposes Lucas Giolito, one of four White Sox rookies in the rotation hoping to leave an impression for next year.

TV: 8:10 p.m. ET, WGN (Chicago), AT&T SportsNet-Southwest (Houston)

PITCHING MATCHUP: White Sox RH Lucas Giolito (2-2, 2.56 ERA) vs. Astros RH Collin McHugh (2-2, 3.61)

Giolito earned a no-decision after allowing one run, four hits and three walks while striking out three in 6 1/3 innings of Chicago's 5-3 victory at Kansas City on Wednesday. The 23-year-old Californian, who is 6-6 and weighs 255 pounds, has recorded three quality starts in his five turns this season. Giolito is holding opponents to a .160 batting average with his curveball and changeup.

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McHugh was pulled after three innings of his last start with a broken fingernail in his ninth outing since beginning the season 3 1/2 months late because of an elbow injury. The 30-year-old Indiana native is 1-0 with a 0.54 ERA in three home starts this season. McHugh is 0-4 with a 5.79 ERA in four starts versus the White Sox after permitting seven runs, nine hits and three walks while striking out five in 5 1/3 innings of a 7-1 loss in Chicago on Aug. 9.

WALK-OFFS

1. Houston 2B Jose Altuve leads the AL with 193 hits - 12 more than Kansas City's Eric Hosmer - as he bids to become the first player in major league history to lead either league outright for four straight seasons.

2. Astros CF George Springer (.291, 32 home runs, 79 RBIs) went 5-for-11 with a home run, three RBIs, four runs scored, four walks and two doubles in the three-game series versus Seattle over the weekend.

3. The White Sox, who swept three games from Houston last month by a combined 18-8, are 4-3 on their 10-game road trip.

PREDICTION: Astros 3, White Sox 2

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