Robert homers twice on 4-hit night, White Sox end Astros' win streak
HOUSTON (AP) — Luis Robert Jr. homered twice and had a season-high four hits along with four RBIs in the Chicago White Sox's 5-4 victory over the Houston Astros on Friday night.
"They've been fighting really hard," Chicago interim manager Grady Sizemore said. "I told them these last five games or so, they have been playing great and just to keep it up and good things will happen and they showed up again tonight and really battled and fought hard."
The majors-worst White Sox (30-93) won for the second time in four games, snapping the AL West-leading Astros' season-best winning streak at eight games.
"This was a pretty big game for us," White Sox starter Garrett Crochet said. "With not ... any playoff aspirations, I think that one of our MOs is well let's screw it up for everyone else and we knew that the Astros were on the heater. So this one definitely feels good."
Pinch-hitter Jon Singleton hit a solo home run for Houston off Chad Kuhl with two outs in the ninth to cut it to 5-4. But Kuhl struck out Jose Altuve to end it and get his first save.
Robert hit a two-run homer in the third and added a solo shot in the fifth as the White Sox built a 4-1 lead. It's the seventh career two-homer game for Robert and his first since March 30 against Detroit.
"This is a good start ... but I still need to keep working and try to get more comfortable," Robert said in Spanish through a translator.
A two-run home run by Jake Meyers got Houston to 4-3 in the sixth, but Robert added some insurance with an RBI single with two outs in the eighth.
His first hit of the night came on a single in the first, but he was thrown out trying to stretch it into a double.
The Astros struck out a season-high 16 times as they lost for the first time since Aug. 5.
Crochet allowed four hits and a run with nine strikeouts in four innings.
Houston starter Spencer Arrighetti (5-11) yielded seven hits and four runs in 5 2/3 innings.
"Spencer had some really good stuff, just kind of struggled with command and left some pitches out over the plate," manager Joe Espada said. "Luis Robert swung the bat really well today. That was the difference in tonight's game."
Andrew Vaughn singled to start the second before Korey Lee doubled with one out in the inning. Michael Vargas walked to load the bases and the White Sox made it 1-0 when Vaughn scored when Dominic Fletcher grounded into a force out.
A single to left field by Nicky Lopez opened the third before Robert sent a fastball from Arrighetti off the wall in left field to make it 3-0.
Altuve hit a ground-rule double with two outs in the bottom of the inning that knocked out a digit on the manual out of town scoreboard on the wall below the seats in left field. The Astros cut it to 3-1 when he scored on a single by Yordan Alvarez.
Robert connected off Arrighetti again with two outs in the fifth on a solo shot to the first row of the seats in left field to make it 4-1.
The Astros had two on and one out in the fifth, but Alvarez grounded into a double play to end the inning.
The White Sox were up by 3 when Victor Caratini singled with two outs in the sixth. Meyers followed with his shot to left field off Touki Toussaint to cut the lead to 4-3.
Zach Dezenzo walked before Mauricio Dubón doubled to left field to chase Toussaint. He was replaced by Justin Anderson (1-0) and he escaped the jam when Chas McCormick grounded out on his first pitch to end the inning.
TRAINER'S ROOM
White Sox: RHP Matt Foster was reinstated from the 60-day injured list Friday. … RHP Dominic Leone (Tommy John surgery) was transferred to the 60-day injured list.
Astros: Ace Justin Verlander (neck stiffness) allowed four hits and two runs in four innings for Double-A Corpus Christi in his second rehabilitation start Thursday night. Espada said he would throw a bullpen Sunday before they decide what's next for the right-hander. … 3B Alex Bregman was out of Friday's lineup because of swelling in the back of his right elbow. Bregman said that the problem began when he slept on it wrong a few days ago. Bregman said he could miss the weekend series and return Monday for the start of a series against the Boston Red Sox.
UP NEXT
Houston RHP Hunter Brown (10-7, 3.96 ERA) was set to face RHP Chris Flexen (2-11, 5.34) on Saturday night.