Houston has a rough night
Astros struggle all around in loss to White Sox
Jul 17, 2021, 9:10 pm
Houston has a rough night
Houston struggled on both sides of the ball on Saturday in Chicago.
After getting a lopsided win in the opener on Friday night, the Astros tried to capitalize on the chance to lock up the series with the formidable White Sox on Saturday night in the series middle game. Instead, Chicago would take their turn to dominate, handing Houston the loss to even things at a game apiece.
Final Score: White Sox 10, Astros 1
Astros' Record: 56-37, first in the AL West
Winning Pitcher: Lucas Giolito (8-6)
Losing Pitcher: Jake Odorizzi (3-5)
After allowing just a walk in the first two innings, Jake Odorizzi would watch his start go downhill from there. Chicago tagged him with back-to-back solo homers with one out on the bottom of the third, jumping ahead 2-0 before Odorizzi would finish the inning. He returned to try and rebound in the fourth and give his team some more innings but instead would continue to struggle, allowing two more runs on an RBI double and single, extending the White Sox's lead to 4-0. He would get just one out into the inning before being removed in favor of Brandon Bielak. His final line: 3.1 IP, 6 H, 4 ER, 4 BB, 1 K, 2 HR, 73 P.
After Bielak finished the fourth for Odorizzi, he gave up two runs of his own on a one-out two-run homer to make it 6-0 in the bottom of the fifth. He went on to complete that frame, then in the bottom of the next inning, the Astros turned to Joe Smith to try and at least keep things within a long arm's reach. The White Sox kept scoring, though, getting a leadoff double, then a single, then a three-run blast to extend the lead further to 9-0 and blow things open.
Austin Pruitt, who was acquired by the Astros in the 2019-20 offseason but suffered an injury to keep him sidelined last year, made his long-awaited debut for Houston out of the bullpen in the bottom of the seventh. He too would feel the wrath of Chicago's offense, giving up a solo homer to make it 10-0 but retiring the other three batters he faced.
Toro gets us on the board#ForTheH pic.twitter.com/XFz6vFB9Ff
— Houston Astros (@astros) July 18, 2021
Meanwhile, Houston's offense had nothing for Lucas Giolito who was carving up the Astros lineup. After a one-out double in the second at-bat of the game by Michael Brantley, Giolito retired the next 22 in a row getting to two outs in the top of the eighth. Abraham Toro would finally get Houston on the board, hitting a solo homer to make it a nine-run game at 10-1. Pruitt returned for a scoreless bottom of the eighth, keeping it 10-1 which would be the final score as Giolito would finish the complete game in the top of the ninth, handing the Astros the lopsided loss.
Up Next: The finale and rubber game of this three-game series will get underway at 1:10 PM Central on Sunday. Framber Valdez (5-1, 2.98 ERA) will make his first start of the second half for Houston, while Carlos Rodon (7-3, 2.31) will go for Chicago.
Wichita, Kansas – Saturday, 8:40 p.m. EDT
The No. 1 seed Houston Cougars (31-4) take on the No. 8 Gonzaga Bulldogs (26-8) in a highly anticipated second-round showdown of the NCAA Tournament. The Cougars, dominant in the Big 12 with a 22-1 record, bring the nation’s top-ranked defense to the court, while the Bulldogs, the West Coast Conference powerhouse, counter with one of the most efficient offenses in the country.
Houston boasts the best defense in the Big 12, holding opponents to just 57.9 points per game on 38.1% shooting. The Cougars will be tasked with slowing down a Gonzaga squad that averages 84.6 points per game over its last 10 outings and shoots an impressive 50.1% from the field.
On the other side, Houston’s offense is averaging 72.1 points per game in its last 10 contests, a figure that will be tested against a Gonzaga defense allowing 67.6 points per game. The Cougars have a slight edge from beyond the arc, making 8.1 three-pointers per game compared to Gonzaga’s 7.3 allowed.
For Houston, LJ Cryer has been the go-to scorer, averaging 15.2 points per game, while Milos Uzan has stepped up recently, contributing 14.7 points over the last 10 games. The Cougars will also lean on their defensive intensity and ability to force turnovers to disrupt Gonzaga’s rhythm.
Gonzaga is led by Graham Ike, who is averaging 17 points and 7.4 rebounds per game. Khalif Battle has also been a key contributor, posting 15.3 points and 1.6 steals per game in the past 10 contests. The Bulldogs’ ball movement will be crucial, as they average 20.4 assists per game in their last 10 contests, a stark contrast to Houston’s 9.0.
Houston enters as a 5.5-point favorite, according to BetMGM Sportsbook, with the over/under set at 140.5 points. If the Cougars can impose their defensive will and limit Gonzaga’s transition game, they stand a strong chance of advancing. However, if the Bulldogs find their offensive groove early, Houston may be in for its toughest test of the tournament so far.
Expect an intense, physical battle where the team that dictates the tempo will likely punch its ticket to the Sweet 16.