White Sox rookie Tilson delivers slam to upend Astros

[May 23, 2019]    Rookie right fielder Charlie Tilson made his first career home run a memorable one, socking a grand slam that capped a six-run sixth inning as the Chicago White Sox slugged their way to a 9-4 victory over the host Houston Astros on Wednesday.

White Sox manager Rick Renteria (36) walks to the mound for a pitching change during the ninth inning against the Houston Astros at Minute Maid Park. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports

Tilson turned on an inside fastball from Astros right-hander reliever Josh James with two outs, driving the 97.9 mph pitch off the scoreboard fronting the second deck in right field.

James entered with no outs, after the White Sox scored two in the inning to take a 4-3 lead. James walked the first batter he faced to load the bases, but got two outs before Tilson broke the game open.

Fellow White Sox rookie Eloy Jimenez belted a pair of homers, notching his second career multi-homer game, as the White Sox rebounded after totaling one run over the first two games of this four-game series. Chicago had lost 11 of 12 games against the Astros dating to the 2017 campaign.

Jimenez slugged his first homer of the night with two outs in the second inning off Astros right-hander Gerrit Cole (4-5), who surrendered another solo blast to Jose Abreu with one out in the fourth.

Cole recorded seven strikeouts to up his majors-leading total to 100, but he came undone in the sixth inning when the first four batters reached safely, capped by an RBI double from catcher James McCann that snapped a 3-3 tie.

Cole was charged with six runs, seven hits and one walk over five-plus innings.

His mound counterpart, White Sox right-hander Ivan Nova (3-4), pitched more effectively, overcoming the Astros' three-run fourth inning to work into the eighth. He was buoyed by the ground ball, inducing 11 groundouts, among them four double plays and an around-the-horn triple play in the third.

In the third, Nova surrendered a leadoff double to Tony Kemp, then plunked Robinson Chirinos with a pitch. But Jake Marisnick hit a scorching grounder to third baseman Yoan Moncada, who was straddling the bag. Moncada started the first White Sox triple play since July 8, 2016, against Atlanta.

Nova scattered 10 hits over seven innings, allowing three runs while issuing a walk. He struck out three.

Alex Bregman slugged his 15th homer in the fourth as Houston matched a club record set in 2017 by homering for a 19th consecutive game.

--Field Level Media

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