Astros 6, White Sox 5: Dexter Fowler had three hits, two RBIs and two runs scored and Jason Castro blasted a three-run homer as host Houston held off Chicago to even the series at a game apiece.
George Springer went 2-for-4 with an RBI and scored twice for the Astros and Jose Altuve went 2-for-5 to extend his hitting streak to nine games. Right-hander Jarred Cosart (3-3) gave up four walks and seven hits over five innings but limited the damage to three runs to earn his second straight win and Chad Qualls worked a perfect ninth for his third save.
Gordon Beckham and Alexei Ramirez each had two hits and an RBI for Chicago, which has lost five of its last seven. White Sox starter Hector Noesi (0-4) was tagged with the loss, allowing six runs — five earned — on eight hits over six innings.
Houston jumped on Noesi for four runs in the first as Springer tripled home Altuve and Castro turned on a 3-2 changeup for his sixth homer of the season. The White Sox clawed back into it with sacrifice flies from Ramirez and Moises Sierra in the second inning and an RBI groundout from Jose Abreu in the third, but they couldn't stop Fowler and the Astros' offense.
Fowler drove an 0-1 fastball the other way into the Crawford Boxes for his third homer in the fifth and he singled home Springer in the seventh to make it 6-3. Chicago scored a pair of runs in the eighth against Kyle Farnsworth, who made his Houston debut after signing earlier in the day, but Darin Downs got Conor Gillaspie to foul out to end the inning and preserve the 6-5 lead.
GAME NOTEBOOK: Altuve's hitting streak is two shy of his career best set last season. … Fowler has drawn a walk in a career-high seven straight games, the first Astros player to do so since Lance Berkman from May 13-21, 2009. … Houston LHP Tony Sipp worked a perfect seventh and has retired all 20 batters he has faced this season. … Paul Konerko pinch hit in the seventh inning for Abreu, who appeared hobbled while running out a ground ball earlier in the game.
Chi. White Sox | Houston | |
Hector Noesi | Player | Jarred Cosart |
Loss | W/L | Win |
6.0 | IP | 5.0 |
6 | Strikeouts | 2 |
8 | Hits | 7 |
7.50 | ERA | 5.40 |
Chi. White Sox | Houston | |
Alexei Ramirez | Player | Dexter Fowler |
2 | Hits | 3 |
1 | RBI | 2 |
0 | HR | 1 |
3 | TB | 6 |
.667 | Avg | .750 |
Team | Hits | HR | TB | Avg | LOB | K | RBI | BB | SB | Errors |
Chi. White Sox | 10 | 0 | 12 | .312 | 15 | 6 | 5 | 6 | 1 | 1 |
Houston | 11 | 2 | 19 | .324 | 21 | 8 | 6 | 5 | 2 | 0 |