Astros gear up for bounce-back win against White Sox ace

GAME 2 PREVIEW

Astros Mauricio Dubon, Alex Bregman
The Astros hope to even the series with Hunter Brown on the mound. Photo by Bob Levey/Getty Images.

Houston Astros (33-40, second in the AL West) vs. Chicago White Sox (20-54, fifth in the AL Central)

Chicago; Wednesday, 8:10 p.m. EDT

PITCHING PROBABLES: Astros: Hunter Brown (3-5, 5.00 ERA, 1.43 WHIP, 76 strikeouts); White Sox: Garrett Crochet (6-5, 3.16 ERA, 0.90 WHIP, 116 strikeouts)

BETMGM SPORTSBOOK: LINE Astros -116, White Sox -104; over/under is 7 1/2 runs

BOTTOM LINE: The Chicago White Sox take a 1-0 lead into the next game of the series against the Houston Astros.

Chicago is 13-23 at home and 20-54 overall. The White Sox are 6-14 in games decided by one run.

Houston is 33-40 overall and 14-21 on the road. The Astros have a 25-4 record in games when they scored at least five runs.

The teams play Wednesday for the second time this season.

TOP PERFORMERS: Gavin Sheets has 14 doubles, a triple and seven home runs for the White Sox. Andrew Vaughn is 14-for-43 with a double and three home runs over the last 10 games.

Yordan Alvarez has 16 doubles, a triple and 14 home runs for the Astros. Jose Altuve is 14-for-41 with two doubles, two home runs and eight RBI over the last 10 games.

LAST 10 GAMES: White Sox: 4-6, .234 batting average, 3.78 ERA, outscored by six runs

Astros: 5-5, .262 batting average, 3.61 ERA, outscored opponents by five runs

INJURIES: White Sox: Max Stassi: 60-Day IL (hip), Dominic Leone: 60-Day IL (right elbow), Dominic Fletcher: 10-Day IL (shoulder), Mike Clevinger: 15-Day IL (elbow), Eloy Jimenez: 10-Day IL (hamstring), Yoan Moncada: 60-Day IL (abductor), Jimmy Lambert: 60-Day IL (shoulder), Matt Foster: 60-Day IL (elbow), Jesse Scholtens: 60-Day IL (elbow)

Astros: Justin Verlander: 15-Day IL (neck), Cristian Javier: 60-Day IL (forearm), Kyle Tucker: 10-Day IL (shin), Jose Urquidy: 60-Day IL (forearm), Oliver Ortega: 60-Day IL (elbow), Bennett Sousa: 60-Day IL (shoulder), Penn Murfee: 60-Day IL (elbow), Luis Garcia: 60-Day IL (elbow), Lance McCullers Jr.: 60-Day IL (elbow), Kendall Graveman: 60-Day IL (elbow)

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The Angels beat the Astros, 3-0. Composite Getty Image.

José Soriano and two relievers combined for a two-hitter and Oswald Peraza hit his first home run since a trade from the Yankees to lead the Los Angeles Angels to a 3-0 win over the Houston Astros on Sunday.

Soriano (10-9) allowed one hit and struck out eight in seven innings. Luis García allowed one hit in a scoreless eighth and Kenley Jansen threw a perfect ninth for his 25th save.

There were two outs in the fifth when Peraza connected off Hunter Brown (10-7) into the bullpen in right-center field to put the Angels up 1-0. His homer comes after his two-run single in the ninth inning Saturday helped Los Angeles to a 4-1 victory that snapped a three-game skid.

Yoan Moncada walked to start the eighth and scored on Mike Trout’s double that bounced off the wall in center field to make it 2-0. Taylor Ward walked before Luis Rengifo reached and Trout scored on an error by Lance McCullers Jr. when the pitcher overthrew first base.

Yordan Alvarez singled with no outs in the first and Soriano walked a batter in the second and sixth innings. The Astros didn’t get another hit until Ramón Urías doubled with one out in the eighth inning. Los Angeles outfielder Taylor Ward was injured trying to make a catch on that hit when he crashed face-first into the metal scoreboard in left field.

He was carted off the field holding a towel to the right side of his face. He was taken to a hospital by ambulance where interim manager Ray Montgomery said he would receive stitches to close the cut and be evaluated.

Brown allowed three hits and a run with five strikeouts in six innings. McCullers Jr. allowed three hits and two runs in his first relief appearance since 2018.

Key moment

The home run by Peraza.

Key stat

It’s the fifth time the Astros have been shut out this month.

Up next

LHP Yusei Kikuchi (6-9, 3.68 ERA) will start for Los Angeles in the series finale Monday against RHP Luis Garcia, who’ll make his return after sitting out since May 2023 recovering from Tommy John surgery.

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