Houston has won seven straight

Astros get best of Keuchel to complete four-game sweep of White Sox

Astros' Lance McCullers Jr.
McCullers Jr. out-pitched friend and former teammate Dallas Keuchel on Father's Day. Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images

McCullers Jr. out-pitched friend and former teammate Dallas Keuchel on Father's Day.

With three impressive wins to start this series against the once AL-leading Chicago White Sox, Houston tried to extend their winning streak to seven games and finish a four-game sweep on Father's Day. Thanks to a big inning against former-Astro Dallas Keuchel, they would win to keep their hot streak going.

Final Score: Astros 8, White Sox 2

Astros' Record: 43-28, first in the AL West

Winning Pitcher: Lance McCullers Jr. (4-1)

Losing Pitcher: Dallas Keuchel (6-2)

Rough return to Houston for Keuchel

In his first game against his old squad, Dallas Keuchel would not have a memorable start on the mound for Chicago. Houston made him labor in the first inning, loading the bases though they only came away with one run on an RBI single by Abraham Toro, grabbing the early 1-0 lead. After going down 1-2-3 in the second, they got after Keuchel again in the third.

They ended up batting around against him that inning, including a two-RBI single by Yordan Alvarez, RBI double by Taylor Jones, and bases-loaded RBI-walk by Jose Altuve, which would end Keuchel's day very early and leave the bases juiced. Chicago's bullpen would walk another batter to give Keuchel another earned run, making it a 6-2 game, with all six going against the former Houston ace. Carlos Correa extended the lead to five runs in the next inning, hitting a leadoff solo home run to make it 7-2.

McCullers Jr. gives up two over six

That gave Lance McCullers Jr. a nice lead to work with, and he managed it well. He had one big mistake in the early goings of the game, giving up a one-out single in the second to set up a two-run home run, which at the time put Chicago in front 2-1 before Houston's offense came alive. He followed that up with four scoreless innings, erasing a walk in each with some tremendous defense behind himā€”his final line: 6.0 IP, 2 H, 2 ER, 4 BB, 4 K, 1 HR, 94 P.

Astros complete the sweep to jump on top of the standings

Still a six-run game in the top of the seventh, Blake Taylor entered as the first reliever out of Houston's bullpen, tossing a 1-2-3 frame. He continued in the top of the eighth, getting two strikeouts in another scoreless inning. The 8-2 score would go final as Ralph Garza Jr. would enter as the third pitcher of the day to wrap things up with a scoreless top of the ninth to finish the four-game sweep. The win, their seventh straight, paired with an Oakland loss earlier in the afternoon, moves Houston into the top spot in the AL West based on winning percentage.

Up Next: This long stretch of consecutive games continues on Monday in Baltimore, as the Astros pick up a seven-game road trip starting with a three-game set against Baltimore getting underway at 6:05 PM Central. Jake Odorizzi (1-3, 5.68 ERA) will get the start for Houston, going opposite of Keegan Akin (0-2, 5.76 ERA) for the Orioles.

Most Popular

SportsMap Emails
Are Awesome

Listen Live

ESPN Houston 97.5 FM
CJ Stroud can secure his second playoff win on Saturday. Photo by Alex Slitz/Getty Images.

Everyone raved about the leadership of second-year quarterback C.J. Stroud this week as the Houston Texans prepared for their wild-card playoff game against the Los Angeles Chargers.

Everyone, that is, except the man himself.

ā€œI donā€™t think Iā€™m a great (leader),ā€ Stroud said sheepishly. ā€œI donā€™t know. Thatā€™s probably a bad thing to say about yourself, but I donā€™t think Iā€™m all that when it comes to leading. I just try to be myself.ā€

But the 23-year-old Stroud simply being himself is exactly what makes him the undisputed leader of this team.

ā€œC.J. is authentic, heā€™s real,ā€ coach DeMeco Ryans said. ā€œItā€™s not only here, itā€™s in the locker room around the guys and thatā€™s what leadership is to me. As you evolve as a leader, you just be authentic to yourself. You donā€™t have to make up anything or make up a speech or make up something to say to guys. C.J. is being C.J.ā€

Sixth-year offensive lineman Tytus Howard said he knew early on that Stroud would be special.

ā€œHe has that aura about him that when he speaks, everybody listens,ā€ he said.

Stroud has helped the Texans win the AFC South and reach the playoffs for a second straight season after they had combined for just 11 wins in the three years before he was drafted second overall.

He was named AP Offensive Rookie of the Year last season, when Houston beat the Browns in the first round before falling to the Ravens in the divisional round.

His stats havenā€™t been as good as they were in his fabulous rookie season when he threw just five interceptions. But he has put together another strong season in Year 2 despite missing top receiver Nico Collins for five games early and losing Stefon Diggs and Tank Dell to season-ending injuries in the second half of the season. He also started every game despite being sacked a whopping 52 times.

ā€œHeā€™s taken some crazy shots,ā€ Howard said. ā€œBut even if heā€™s getting sacked and stuff like that, he just never lets that get to him. He just continues to fight through it, and it basically uplifts the entire offense.ā€

He also finds ways to encourage the team off the field and works to build chemistry through team get-togethers. He often invites the guys over to his house for dinner or to watch games. Recently, he rented out a movie theater for a private screening of ā€œGladiator II.ā€

ā€œHeā€™s like, ā€˜I want the guys to come in and bond together because this thing builds off the field and on the field,ā€™ā€ Howard said. ā€œSo, we need to be closer.ā€

Another thing that makes Stroud an effective leader is that his teammates know that he truly cares about them as people and not just players. That was evident in the loss to the Chiefs when Dell was seriously injured. Stroud openly wept as Dell was tended to on the field and remained distraught after he was carted off.

ā€œIt was good for people to see me in that light and knowing that there is still a human factor to me,ā€ he said. "And I think that was good for people to see that weā€™re just normal people at the end of the day.ā€

Stroud said some of the leaders who molded him were his father, his coaches in high school and college, and more recently Ryans.

His coach said Stroud has been able to lead the team effectively early in his career because he knows there are others he can lean on if he needs help.

ā€œUnderstanding that itā€™s not all on him as a leader, itā€™s all of our guys just buying in, doing what they have to do,ā€ Ryans said. ā€œBut also, C.J. understanding a lot of guys are looking up to him on the team and he takes that role seriously. But itā€™s not a heavy weight for him because we have other leaders, as well, around him.ā€

Stroud considers himself stubborn and though some consider that a bad quality, he thinks itā€™s helped him be a better leader. He's had the trait as long as he can remember.

ā€œThat kind of carried into the sport,ā€ he said. ā€œEven as a kid, my mom used to always say how stubborn I was and just having a standard is how I hear it. Itā€™s stubborn (but) I just have a standard on how I like things to be done and how I hold myself is a standard.ā€

And, to be clear, he doesnā€™t consider himself a bad leader, but he did enjoy hearing that others on the team consider him a great one.

ā€œI just donā€™t look at myself in that light of just Iā€™m all-world at that,ā€ he said. ā€œBut I try my best to lead by example and itā€™s cool because I donā€™t ask guys and to hear what they have to say about that is kind of cool.ā€

Though he doesnā€™t consider himself a great leader, Stroud does have strong feelings about what constitutes one. And heā€™s hoping that heā€™ll be able to do that for his team Saturday to help the Texans to a victory, which would make him the sixth quarterback in NFL history to start and win a playoff game in both of his first two seasons.

ā€œThat would be making everybody around you better,ā€ he said of great leaders. ā€œKind of like a point guard on the offense, the quarterback on the football team, the pitcher on a baseball team ā€” just making everybody around you better.ā€

SportsMap Emails
Are Awesome