White Sox Offense Supports Chris Sale For Ace's 14th Win
HOUSTON (AP) -- Dioner Navarro drove in a season-high four runs, Chris Sale settled down after a shaky start to pitch seven-plus innings and become this season's first 14-game winner and the Chicago White Sox beat the Houston Astros, 7-6, on Saturday.
Navarro drove in a pair with a triple in the second inning to put Chicago up 2-1. The White Sox were trailing in the fifth when his two-run single made it 5-4.
J.B. Shuck hit a solo homer in the fourth and had an RBI triple in Chicago's two-run eighth inning.
Sale (14-2) allowed four runs in the first three innings before settling in to yield just two hits and an unearned run the rest of the way. He allowed six hits and tied a season high by fanning nine.
Houston starter Doug Fister (8-4) allowed nine hits and five runs while walking five in 4 2/3 innings for his second straight loss.
The White Sox had a chance to pad their lead in the third, but Adam Eaton couldn't beat the throw home on a two-out single by Brett Lawrie. Eaton leaped over the head of catcher Evan Gattis on the play, but Gattis was still able to apply the tag.
Danny Worth drew a walk to start Houston's third before a bunt single by Jake Marisnick. Houston tied it at 2-2 when Worth scored on a sacrifice bunt by Marwin Gonzalez and took the lead on an RBI single by Altuve.
After a short coaching visit to the mound, Carlos Correa pushed the lead to 4-2 on a run-scoring single.
Sale settled down after that, retiring 13 of the next 14 batters he faced, until George Springer singled to start the eighth. Gonzalez reached on an error by Todd Frazier after that to end Sale's day.
Sale, who tossed a complete game against Houston on May 19, improved to 5-1 with 65 strikeouts in six career starts against the Astros.
Shuck's two-out home run to the seats in right field got Chicago within 4-3 in the fourth.
TRAINER'S ROOM
White Sox: OF Melky Cabrera is expected to return Monday after missing the last four games with a sprained right wrist. Cabrera first injured his wrist on June 18 and aggravated it on Tuesday when he ran into the wall chasing down a fly ball.
UP NEXT
White Sox: Jose Quintana (5-3, 3.18) will start for Chicago on Sunday. Quintana looks to get back on track after going 0-7 with a 4.58 ERA in his last nine starts.
Astros: Collin McHugh (5-5, 4.58) is scheduled to pitch for Houston on Sunday. McHugh is searching for his first win since May 30 after getting one loss and four no-decisions in his last five starts.
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