After following a dud of a nine-game homestand with a successful six-game road trip through New York, the Houston Astros opened a seven-game homestand on Monday against the Chicago White Sox in search of consistency.
The first game of that four-game series resulted in a 6-3 victory that enabled the Astros (70-68) to maintain their two-game lead over the Texas Rangers in the American League West. The Astros, who will host the Arizona Diamondbacks in an interleague series this weekend, improved to 26-14 against teams currently at .500 or better. That is the best mark in the majors.
“I expect us to come in here and take care of business,” Astros manager Joe Espada said. “We played really well on the road in New York. We have two very important series, two good teams coming in here. We’ve got to go out there and play well; that’s the bottom line.
“We have to continue to prove ourselves on the field and continue to win series.”
Espada did not name a starter on Monday for the next game, with right-hander Ronel Blanco (0-1, 7.71 ERA) the probable starter as he is expected to be recalled from Triple-A Sugar Land. He had 12 walks and 20 strikeouts in 23 1/3 innings over five games (four starts) for Houston before losing his spot in the rotation in August.
Blanco is 0-1 with a 6.14 record in two career games against the White Sox, including a 12-3 road loss on July 26 when he allowed five runs, four hits and three walks with four strikeouts in 5 1/3 innings.
The Astros also have Mike Burrows (elbow) eligible for reinstatement from the injured list. The righty is 0-1 with a 2.03 ERA in 13 1/3 innings across three rehab starts with Sugar Land.
Right-hander Sean Burke (7-6, 3.32) has the starting assignment for the White Sox (72-65). He did not factor into the decision in a 10-4 home win over the Rangers last Wednesday after allowing two runs on two hits and a career-high eight walks with three strikeouts across three innings. That marked the fourth consecutive no-decision for Burke, who is 0-2 with a 3.68 ERA over his past seven starts.
Burke is 0-2 with an 8.38 ERA in two career starts against the Astros. In his most recent appearance against Houston on July 25, Burke allowed three runs (two earned) on four hits and one walk with 10 strikeouts over six innings in a 4-1 home loss.
The White Sox acquired veteran outfielder Tommy Pham from the Phillies for cash considerations on Monday. Pham will join the club when rosters expand on Tuesday.
Pham has spent the season primarily in the minors, playing for five teams and three organizations. It will mark his second stint with the White Sox, for whom Pham played 70 games in 2024 and slashed .266/.330/.380 with five home runs and 19 RBIs. White Sox manager Will Venable anticipates the right-handed-hitting Pham will primarily get at-bats against left-handed pitching.
“As you look at it broadly, our need for a right-handed bat versus left-handed pitching is something that we’re really excited about,” Venable said. “And then the human being, the teammate, the edge that he brings, who he is as a total player, I think he’s going to make a big impact here.”
Pham, 38, has played 1,250 major league games across 13 seasons, including nine games in 2026 for the New York Mets. For the youthful White Sox, Pham’s 136 postseason plate appearances with five clubs are significant. He has an .823 OPS in 37 playoff games.
“A ton of experience,” Venable said. “He’s been in every situation, and he understands what it means to be in meaningful games down the stretch. He knows what it means to play playoff games. He understands what it means to just perform and exist in high-leverage situations.
“That’s one of the many reasons I think it’s going to be good for our young group to have another voice, another person who’s experienced things that these guys can lean on.”
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