Verlander strikes out 12 as Astros defeat White Sox

[May 22, 2019]    Justin Verlander carried a no-hitter into the seventh inning and Michael Brantley keyed a four-run uprising in the fifth with an opposite-field double to left as the Houston Astros claimed a 5-1 victory over the visiting Chicago White Sox on Tuesday.

Astros starting pitcher Justin Verlander (35) delivers a pitch during the first inning against the Chicago White Sox at Minute Maid Park. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports

Verlander (8-1) flirted with his third career no-hitter, dominating the White Sox with a season-high 12 strikeouts while allowing just one baserunner entering the top of the seventh.

After recording his 11th strikeout to open that frame, retiring White Sox third baseman Yoan Moncada on a 2-2 curveball, Verlander lost his no-hitter and shutout when Chicago first baseman Jose Abreu drilled a first-pitch, 95.4 mile-per-hour fastball to straightaway center field, clearing the outstretched glove of Jake Marisnick and the 409-foot marker on the wall.

The Abreu blast sliced the Houston lead to four runs. Verlander recovered by retiring the final five batters he faced and closed his outing allowing two baserunners over eight innings. He threw 101 pitches, 74 for strikes, and recorded a whopping 28 swings and misses on the night.

The Astros, winners of 15 of 17, scuffled early against White Sox right-hander Dylan Covey (0-3), notching a solo home run from Yuli Gurriel with two outs in the fourth to take a 1-0 lead. The Gurriel dinger, an opposite-field shot to right, was his fourth on the season and seemingly set the stage for Houston to chase Covey in the fifth, starting with a leadoff walk by Tony Kemp.

Kemp worked Covey for nine pitches before reaching base, with Marisnick working a walk as well before Josh Reddick jumped ahead 2-0 in the count to facilitate a pitching change. Left-hander Aaron Bummer completed the walk to Reddick and uncorked a wild pitch to Alex Bregman that allowed Kemp to score from third base.

Brantley followed a Bregman walk by flipping a 2-2 cutter into left field, plating both Marisnick and Reddick to extend the lead to 4-0. Carlos Correa added an RBI single on the first pitch of the ensuing at-bat to cap the rally.

Covey allowed four runs and four hits over four-plus innings.

The Astros improved to 18-4 at home and 11-1 over their last 12 games against the White Sox.

--Field Level Media

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