HOUSTON -- Chicago White Sox manager Robin Ventura acknowledged the inherent danger of utilizing both catchers in his starting lineup, with his decision to use Dioner Navarro as the designated hitter representing a calculated risk that paid dividends on two occasions on Saturday.

Navarro produced two critical two-run singles for the Chicago White Sox in their 7-6 victory over the Houston Astros at Minute Maid Park.

Navarro finished 2-for-4 with four RBIs. His two-run, two-out single to right field in the fifth inning chased Astros right-hander Doug Fister (8-5) and provided the White Sox (41-40) a 5-4 lead they never relinquished.

Navarro earlier drilled a triple to center in the second that scored Todd Frazier and catcher Alex Avila and erased a 1-0 deficit.

"This is my first time this year. I did it quite a bit the past two years with the Blue Jays," Navarro said of serving as the designated hitter. "It kind of worked out for us today, so I'm happy.

Ventura said, "He liked it and we all liked it. We have to roll the dice a little bit with Melky (Cabrera) being out and having both those guys (Navarro and Avila) in there. The left-handers, you need them in there. He's faced him (Fister) before so you take a chance with it and he comes up with some big hits."

The second Navarro hit proved especially decisive after the Astros (43-38) scratched across three runs against White Sox ace Chris Sale in the third. Houston led 4-2 by the close of the inning and was positioned to extend its home winning streak to seven games with Fister on the hill.

Second baseman Jose Altuve provided Houston a 1-0 lead with a home run off Sale in the first inning, his 14th homer this season. Altuve was the middle of three consecutive run-scoring plate appearances in the inning, following a sacrifice bunt from Marwin Gonzalez and preceding an opposite-field RBI single by shortstop Carlos Correa that made it 4-2.

But after grabbing the lead, the Astros went silent until the eighth, with Sale retiring 13 of 14 batters before George Springer opened the inning with a sharp single to left field. By then, the White Sox lead to 7-4.

Center fielder J.B. Shuck, who homered off Fister in the fourth, cranked a two-out triple off left-hander Tony Sipp that scored Avisail Garcia in the eighth. Shuck later scored when shortstop Tim Anderson doubled.

Sale (14-2) departed before Altuve drove in Springer with a sacrifice fly off right-hander Nate Jones. Sale allowed five runs (four earned), six hits and one walk with nine strikeouts in seven innings.

"You have to take advantage of everything you can against him," Gonzalez said of Sale. "He's one of the best pitchers in the majors. He kept throwing good after that (third inning) and got the results."

Jones retired all three batters he faced to preserve the lead in advance of closer David Robertson posting his 22nd save despite allowing the first career homer by Astros rookie A.J. Reed with two outs in the ninth.

Fister absorbed his second consecutive loss, allowing five runs, nine hits and five walks with three strikeouts in 4 2/3 innings.

"It was one of those days where I was fighting myself mechanically and not able to execute as well as I'd like," Fister said. "You have to give our guys credit. We fought back and came up short. I didn't do my job tonight."

NOTES: Astros 2B Jose Altuve was named American League Player of the Month after hitting .420/.492/.620 with six doubles, four home runs and 15 RBIs with six stolen bases in 26 games in June. Altuve, a first-time recipient of the honor, led the AL in batting average, hits and on-base percentage last month and set a franchise record for batting average in June (minimum 75 plate appearances). He is the first Houston player to receive the distinction since Lance Berkman was named National League Player of the Month in May 2008. ... White Sox LF Melky Cabrera (sprained right wrist) could return to the lineup on Monday against the Yankees. Cabrera missed his fourth consecutive game. ... The White Sox acquired C Alfredo Gonzalez from the Astros in exchange for cash considerations and optioned him to Double-A Birmingham. To make room for Gonzalez on the 40-man roster, the club transferred RHP Daniel Webb to the 60-day disabled list. Gonzalez was designated for assignment on June 25 after batting .158 with seven RBIs and 14 runs in 44 games with Double-A Corpus Christi.