White Sox shutout Astros to split the series
Astros daily report presented by APG&E: 2 hits from the 4-0 loss
May 23, 2019, 9:51 pm
Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images
After a disappointing loss the night before, the Astros were back in action for game four of this series with the White Sox on Thursday night looking to take the series 3-1 with a win. Here's how the game panned out:
Final Score: White Sox 4, Astros 0
Record: 33-18, first in the AL West.
Winning pitcher: Lucas Giolito (6-1, 2.77 ERA).
Losing pitcher: Corbin Martin (1-1, 4.97 ERA).
1) Martin with another rough start
Since his great debut on Mother's Day, Corbin Martin has not been able to repeat that success against the two teams he has faced since. After going four innings against the Red Sox last week where he allowed three runs and four walks, he struggled again on Thursday night in his start against the White Sox.
It centered around the third inning, where he allowed three runs on a couple of hits and a self-inflicted error which gave Chicago a 3-0 lead. Then, in the fourth he allowed a solo home run to make it 4-0. A.J. Hinch would go ahead and make the call to the bullpen after Martin allowed a one-out single, ending his night early in a disappointing outing.
The bullpen, however, would have a strong outing with Framber Valdez taking over for Martin in the fourth and finishing that and two other scoreless innings. Josh James rebounded from his rough outing the night before with two scoreless innings including five strikeouts, then Chris Devenski came in for a scoreless ninth.
2) Giolito dominates
Houston's offense could not crack Lucas Giolito, getting just four hits and one walk against him as Giolito would go on to throw a complete game shutout, the best start of his season. The win for Chicago made it a 2-2 series split, and the shutout also ended Houston's streak of consecutive games with a home run.
Up Next: The Astros will move on to the next series in this ten-game homestand with the first of a three-game series with the Red Sox on Friday night at 7:10 PM. It will be a rematch of Sunday afternoon's game with Wade Miley (4-2, 3.51 ERA) looking to help Houston reverse the outcome against Chris Sale (1-5, 4.31 ERA) as Boston took that game 4-3.
The Astros daily report is presented by APG&E.
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After a rough weekend and a five-game home losing streak looming large, the Houston Astros return to Daikin Park on Monday night looking to get back on track against the visiting Washington Nationals. This three-game set opens a critical homestand for the first-place Astros, who, despite the skid, still lead the AL West with a 60-46 record.
Houston will turn to its ace, Framber Valdez, who’s quietly piecing together one of the most dominant seasons in the league. The left-hander is 11-4 with a 2.67 ERA and 129 strikeouts — and when he’s on, he’s a stopper in every sense.
The Nationals counter with Brad Lord, who brings a solid 3.39 ERA into the matchup but has just two wins in 7 starts. Lord’s numbers suggest he's pitched better than his record shows, though his 1.26 WHIP could be tested against a Houston lineup that has proven dangerous when clicking. The Astros are 33-7 this season when scoring at least five runs — the formula is no secret.
At the plate, José Altuve continues to anchor Houston’s offense, hitting .280 with 17 homers and 17 doubles on the year. The supporting cast has been inconsistent of late, with the Astros averaging just .241 and getting outscored by 17 runs over their last 10 games. Rookie Brice Matthews has shown flashes, with three homers in his last 10 games, but Houston is still searching for a rhythm without key power bats fully healthy.
The Nationals arrive in Houston at 43-62, last in the NL East but coming off a competitive 5-5 stretch. James Wood, one of their key young pieces, has slugged 24 homers and added 21 doubles while batting .263. Josh Bell has also been swinging the bat well, collecting 12 hits in his last 39 at-bats.
The Astros hold a 33-23 mark at Daikin Park this season, and they’ll try to lean on home-field advantage — something that’s recently been elusive — to jumpstart a second-half push. With the trade deadline approaching and the division tightening, Houston knows it can’t afford to drop games to teams below .500.
First pitch is set for 8:10 p.m. ET, with the Astros listed as heavy -232 favorites on BetMGM’s sportsbook. The over/under is 7.5, a nod to the belief that pitching could dominate this series opener.
Injuries
You can see all the updates in Brian McTaggart's post below.
And a plethora of injury updates pic.twitter.com/G1ZjhQlJxZ
— Brian McTaggart (@brianmctaggart) July 28, 2025
It sounds like Jeremy Pena will return the soonest, followed by Spencer Arrighetti. Pena is playing for Sugar Land on Tuesday.
Peña will play tomorrow in Sugar Land. He’s close https://t.co/fBnNkfTwc5
— Brian McTaggart (@brianmctaggart) July 28, 2025
Joe Espada is shuffling his lineup
Taylor Trammell is leading off and playing right field, with Cam Smith getting the night off. Altuve is once again hitting second and playing left field and is followed by the DH, Victor Caratini. Christian Walker will hit cleanup and play first base, no surprise there.
Jacob Melton has been recalled to the big league roster and Jon Singleton has been DFA'd. So Melton will hit fifth and play center field followed by Yainer Diaz (C), Mauricio Dubon (3B), Brice Matthews (2B), and Zack Short (SS).
It's City Connect Monday, y'all.
⚾️: 7:10 PM
🏟️: Closed
📺: @SpaceCityHN
🎙️: @SportsTalk790 | Spanish: 93.3 FM#BuiltForThis x @reliantenergy pic.twitter.com/2FmPaf8qHd
— Houston Astros (@astros) July 28, 2025
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