Yordan Alvarez went 3-for-5 with a home run and two RBI, sparking the visiting Houston Astros to a 5-3 win over the Chicago White Sox on Thursday.
Alex Bregman also tallied three hits for Houston, which took two of three from Chicago.
White Sox starter Chris Flexen threw six innings of one-run ball on five hits, striking out six and walking three. However, Flexen earned a no-decision as Chicago dropped its eighth game in its last 11 tries.
Houston cracked the scoreboard in the first inning as Alvarez launched his 15th home run of the year, a 439-foot solo shot to put the Astros up 1-0.
Still holding a 1-0 advantage in the top of the fifth, Houston looked to extend its lead as Jose Altuve walked and Bregman singled to begin the inning. Flexen then struck out Alvarez before retiring Yainer Diaz on a double play.
Martin Maldonado led off the bottom of the fifth with a single against Houston starter Spencer Arrighetti, followed by Tommy Pham’s walk. Arrighetti retired Gavin Sheets on a flyout, but Luis Robert Jr. doubled to left field, scoring Maldonado and tying the game at one.
Andrew Vaughn followed with an RBI single to center, giving Chicago a 2-1 lead and chasing Arrighetti from the game. Tayler Scott (3-2) came in to relieve Arrighetti and gave up a sacrifice fly to Andrew Benintendi, expanding the White Sox’s advantage to 3-1.
Arrighetti threw 4 1/3 innings of five-hit, three-run ball, while walking four and striking out a pair.
Steven Wilson (1-4) replaced Flexen in the top of the seventh and gave up a double to Mauricio Dubon before Altuve drove in the team’s second run on an RBI single two batters later. Bregman followed with a single, putting runners on the corners and leading Wilson to be replaced by Tanner Banks.
Alvarez then drove in Altuve on Houston’s third straight single, knotting the game at three. Two batters later, Bregman scored the go-ahead run on an infield chopper by Cooper Hummel after third baseman Lenyn Sosa’s low throw got away from first baseman Vaughn.
Chicago then brought in its third pitcher of the seventh, as Justin Anderson walked Jake Meyers and then Jeremy Pena with the bases loaded, putting Houston up 5-3. The inning finally ended after four Houston runs as Anderson struck out Dubon.
The score remained 5-3 in the ninth, when Houston’s Josh Hader threw a perfect final inning, picking up his 11th save.
–Field Level Media
