The Astros improved to 16-4 over their last 20
games by battering their former staff ace, Dallas Keuchel (6-2),
who suffered his first loss since April 30. Keuchel allowed six
runs (three earned) on seven hits and four walks with three
strikeouts over 2 2/3 innings, his shortest start since his
rookie season when Keuchel worked 2 1/3 innings at the Milwaukee
Brewers on Sept. 29, 2012.
Keuchel made his first appearance at Minute Maid Park since
completing his seven-year run with the Astros in 2018. He
labored through a 27-pitch first inning but stranded the bases
loaded after allowing a two-out infield single to Toro that
scored Jose Altuve for a 1-0 Houston lead.
Keuchel righted himself with a six-pitch second but the Astros
sent 11 batters to the plate and chased Keuchel in the third.
Five consecutive batters reached against Keuchel with one out in
the frame, with Yordan Alvarez delivering a two-run single and
Taylor Jones an RBI double.
Altuve worked a bases-loaded walk that scored Toro and chased
Keuchel. Chas McCormick greeted White Sox reliever Matt Foster
with a walk that plated Jones and upped the lead to 6-2.
Correa slugged his 14th home run leading off the fourth inning.
Martin Maldonado came home on a single by Michael Brantley with
two outs in the fifth.
Seven different Astros recorded at least one RBI. Alvarez drove
in a pair while Toro finished 4-for-5 with an RBI and a run
scored.
McCullers (4-1) scuffled with his control, issuing leadoff walks
in the fourth, fifth and sixth innings. However, he induced
double-play ground balls in each frame and limited the White Sox
to two runs and two hits over six innings, with Jake Lamb
smacking a two-run homer with two outs in the second. The White
Sox temporarily took a 2-1 lead on the fifth home run for Lamb.
Houston outscored Chicago 27-8 in the four-game series and
completed a 6-0 homestand. The White Sox are mired in a
season-long four-game skid.
--Field Level Media
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