Chicago White Sox rally but fall a few inches short in a 4-3 loss to the Houston Astros
HOUSTON — The Chicago White Sox were seeking their first series win in Houston since 2016.
Mike Tauchman led off the ninth inning Thursday night with a home run to right field against Astros closer Josh Hader, pulling the Sox within one run. And with two outs, Miguel Vargas just missed another home run, doubling off the top of the high left-field wall at Daikin Park.
'I just try to make contact, try to be on base to give the opportunity to the next guy,' Vargas said. 'A little sad it didn't go over.'
Hader rebounded, striking out Austin Slater looking as the Astros hung on to defeat the Sox 4-3 in front of 28,003.
'Really proud of the guys,' Sox manager Will Venable said. 'They played a great baseball game today. Really all over the place. I thought we did a good job battling these guys and just came up short.'
Vargas and Edgar Quero each had three hits. Vargas scored twice while Quero drove in two runs. But the American League West-leading Astros had an answer after the Sox scored early on the way to taking two of three in the series.
'When your offense scratches and claws against one of the best left-handed pitchers in the game (Framber Valdez), you can't go out there and give up runs right after,' said Sox starter Davis Martin, who allowed four runs on seven hits in six innings. 'Got to keep the momentum on our side. That's the biggest frustrating thing for me, giving those things right back.'
Vargas doubled and stole third in the third inning. Quero knocked him in with a single.
The Astros responded with three runs in the bottom of the inning. Jeremy Peña reached when Vargas couldn't cleanly field his grounder to third, which was ruled a single. Isaac Paredes walked and Jose Altuve drove them both in with a double.
Yainer Diaz followed with an RBI double, making it 3-1.
'Our offense took some really good ABs, scratched one on,' Martin said. 'And we need a zero there and that's a big frustrating point for me. And it's something I need to work on going forward.'
The Sox (23-46) nearly got a run back in the fourth when Chase Meidroth hit a sinking liner to right field with a runner on third and two outs. But Cam Smith charged and made a sliding catch. The Sox contemplated challenging the call on the field.
'It was kind of 50-50,' Venable said. 'We thought that he did catch it and ultimately didn't. But yeah, it was close. In the fourth inning there, risk tolerance was probably a little lower and so it was a no.'
The Sox did come through with a run in the fifth when Vargas tripled and Quero drove him in with another single.
'Most of the time Framber, I know everything is moving away, so I was trying to put the ball in play and we got hits,' Quero said.
The Sox made Valdez work, collecting seven hits against the lefty in his five innings. He limited the damage, largely because of 12 strikeouts in his 95-pitch performance.
Just as quickly as the Sox got within a run, the Astros bounced back in the bottom of the fifth with a solo home run from Paredes to make it 4-2.
'The Paredes home run, you've just got to tip your cap,' Martin said. 'All and all, felt good, felt like we battled. Didn't think I had a chance to go six innings, but made some really good pitches down the stretch and got there.'
The Sox still trailed by two heading into the ninth when Tauchman hit Hader's fifth pitch over the right-field wall. After the next two batters were retired, Vargas extended the inning with his double.
'A really good battle against a really good pitcher, put a good swing on it, need a couple more push-ups on that one,' Venable said.
Hader collected the Astros' 16th strikeout of the evening, punching out Slater looking to end the game.
'I'm so proud of the guys in that they put themselves in this spot to continue to fight, to continue to battle and play well,' Venable said. 'I think you're starting to feel our reaction to these are no longer, 'Way to go, we competed,' it's we're upset that we didn't win the game.
'I think that's the reflection of the growth of this club and that's what you earn by playing good baseball.'
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