Unlikely hero Cesar Salazar leads Astros past White Sox

[June 20, 2024]  Hunter Brown threw six quality innings and Cesar Salazar drove in a pair of runs on two hits, helping lead the visiting Houston Astros to a 4-1 win over the Chicago White Sox on Wednesday.
 
Brown (4-5) allowed just one run on seven hits and struck out six in picking up his third consecutive win. Jose Altuve and Jake Meyers also had two hits each for the Astros, who have won two of their last three games. 

Jun 19, 2024; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago White Sox pitcher Garrett Crochet (45) delivers during the first inning against the Houston Astros at Guaranteed Rate Field. Mandatory Credit: Matt Marton-USA TODAY Sports

Korey Lee and Luis Robert each had two hits for Chicago, which has lost seven of 10.

After two scoreless innings, Houston catcher Victor Caratini led off the top of the third with a single against Chicago starter Garrett Crochet and took third on Chas McCormick's double.

Caratini was then thrown out trying to score on Cooper Hummel's ground ball to third baseman Lee. Jose Altuve singled to load the bases with one out, before Mauricio Dubon's RBI groundout gave Houston a 1-0 lead.

Houston designated hitter Yainer Diaz began the fourth with a walk. Jeremy Pena then singled, before Crochet fanned Meyers for the first out.

Salazar, who came in to replace an injured Caratini in the third, singled in Diaz for the second Houston run -- just the second hit and RBI for Salazar this season. Crochet retired McCormick and Hummel on strikeouts to escape the top of the fourth.

The White Sox cut their deficit in half in the bottom of the fourth, when Andrew Benintendi launched his fifth home run of the year, a solo shot to right field.

Chicago threatened again in the bottom of the fifth. Lee led off with a hit and went to third on Tommy Pham's single. However, Brown got Gavin Sheets to ground into an inning-ending double play.

In the sixth, Meyers laced a one-out double and came home on Salazar's single, giving Houston a 3-1 advantage.

Justin Anderson relieved Crochet (6-6) after six innings of three-run, nine-hit ball. In his first loss since May 26, Crochet struck out eight and walked one. Anderson allowed a pair of hits, but pitched a scoreless top of the seventh.

Bryan Abreu threw a perfect bottom of the seventh in relief of Brown.

Steven Wilson pitched the top of the eighth for Chicago, and was met with a first-pitch double from Meyers. Salazar moved Meyers to third on a sacrifice bunt, and McCormick drove in the fourth Houston run on a sacrifice fly.

Josh Hader threw a scoreless ninth, picking up his 10th save.

--Field Level Media

[© 2024 Thomson Reuters. All rights reserved.]
 This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.  Thompson Reuters is solely responsible for this content.