Astros get just enough but lose a key contributor late

INJURY ALERT

Astros Jose Altuve, Isaac Paredes
The Astros beat the White Sox, 4-3. Photo by Tim Warner/Getty Images.

Isaac Paredes hit a solo homer and Jose Altuve doubled twice and had two RBIs to lead the Houston Astros over the Chicago White Sox 4-3 on Thursday night.

 

Houston led 4-2 entering the ninth before Mike Tauchman homered to right field off closer Josh Hader to get Chicago within 4-3. There were two outs when Miguel Vargas narrowly missed a homer on a double off the wall in left field.

But Hader struck out Austin Slater to improve to 18 of 18 on save opportunities this season.

Paredes appeared to injure his leg trying to beat out a double play in the seventh inning and was replaced at third base in the eighth. Manager Joe Espada said he had an unspecified injury to his left hamstring but that they don't believe that it's serious. He added that they'd have more information on Friday.

The Astros led by one with one out in the fifth when Paredes connected on his shot to left-center off Davis Martin (2-7) to make it 4-2. Martin yielded seven hits and four runs with five strikeouts in six innings.

Houston starter Framber Valdez (7-4) allowed seven hits and two runs with a season-high 12 strikeouts in five innings.

Edgar Quero had three hits and two RBIs and Vargas had two doubles and a triple for the White Sox, who fell to 7-28 on the road.

Altuve, who is primarily playing left field this season after spending his first 14 seasons at second base, made a leaping grab near the wall in left field in the seventh to rob Chase Meidroth of extra bases.

Key moment

Hader's strikeout of Slater to end it.

Key stat

Hader has the most saves without a blown save in the majors this season and his streak is the second longest in franchise history to start a season behind a 21-game streak by Dave Smith in 1989.

Up next

The White Sox open a three-game series at Texas and the Astros play the opener of a three-game series against Minnesota on Friday.

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The Nationals beat the Astros, 2-1. Photo by Bob Levey/Getty Images.

Riley Adams hit a tiebreaking solo homer in the seventh inning to lift the Washington Nationals to a 2-1 win over the Houston Astros on Monday night.

The game was tied 1-all with two outs in the seventh when Adams connected off Bryan King (3-2) on his 348-foot shot to the seats in right field to put Washington on top.

Christian Walker doubled to lead off the bottom of the inning and Jacob Melton walked. But Yainer Diaz grounded into a double play before Luis García struck out Mauricio Dubón to end the threat.

Konnor Pilkington (2-0) got the last two outs of the sixth for the win and Kyle Finnegan struck out one in the ninth for his 20th save.

The Astros have dropped a season-high five straight games after being swept in a four-game series by the Athletics this weekend. The AL West leaders have dropped 10 of their last 11 home games and managed just one run for a third straight game.

Nationals’ starter Brad Lord retired the first 14 batters before Diaz walked with two outs in the fifth. Dubón followed with a double on a line drive to left field that scored Diaz and put Houston up 1-0.

There were two outs in the sixth when Framber Valdez walked Josh Bell. Nathaniel Lowe’s double to the right field corner scored Bell and tied the game at 1.

Valdez allowed three hits and a run while tying a season high with 12 strikeouts in six innings to become the 10th pitcher in franchise history to reach 1,000 career strikeouts (1,007). Houston’s bullpen struck out seven more as the team tied a season high with 19 strikeouts.

Washington starter Brad Lord yielded one hit and one run in 5 1/3 innings.

Key moment

The home run by Adams.

Key stat

Eleven of Adams’ 22 hits this season have been for extra bases.

Up next

RHP Michael Soroka (3-8, 4.85 ERA) will start for the Nationals when the series continues Tuesday night. The Astros haven’t announced a starter.

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