Sixth-Inning Surge Changes Everything
The Houston Astros overcame a four-run deficit to defeat the Chicago White Sox 9-5 on Friday at Rate Field. The turning point arrived in the sixth inning, where Houston erupted for eight runs, shifting the momentum entirely in their favor.
Houston starter Spencer Arrighetti struggled early, allowing three earned runs in just one inning. He was followed by AJ Blubaugh, who managed two hitless innings. Kai-Wei Teng took the mound for the next two frames, giving up two earned runs but securing the win, improving his record to 5-6.
The White Sox built an early lead, capitalizing on Astros pitching errors. In the first inning, C. Montgomery hit a sacrifice fly to center to score Antonacci, followed by B. Montgomery’s single that brought Murakami home. Meidroth then scored on a hit-by-pitch, giving Chicago a 3-0 advantage.
The lead extended in the fifth inning when Benintendi scored on a wild pitch by Teng. Another wild pitch by Teng allowed Benintendi to score again, and Meidroth’s double to center plated B. Montgomery, pushing the White Sox ahead 5-0.
Walker and Smith Lead Comeback
The Astros’ offense woke up in the bottom of the sixth. Wade Jr. singled to right, driving in Alvarez to make it 5-1. The inning exploded when Walker doubled to left, scoring three runs to tie the game at 5-5. Smith then homered to left, a 383-foot shot that extended Houston’s lead to 7-5.
Altuve reached on an infield single, scoring Peña, and Wade Jr. walked to bring in another run, making it 9-5. The Astros added one more run in the ninth inning when Vázquez hit a ground-rule double, scoring Trammell.