During a game on Friday, Chicago White Sox starter Davis Martin attempted a double play by tossing a baseball to second base after it rolled near the mound. This play, involving Chase Meidroth, was initially called a double play. However, Houston Astros challenged this ruling, and a review confirmed that batter Isaac Paredes was hit by a pitch.
The challenge was successful, placing Astros runners on first and second with zero outs instead of two outs with none on. This shift in momentum led to a challenging inning for the White Sox, allowing Astros to score eight runs, culminating in a 9-5 victory for Houston at Rate Field with an audience of 28,657.
“It couldn’t get any outs,” White Sox manager Will Venable mentioned, acknowledging the Astros’ effective offense. “They beat us every way in that inning.”
The reversal of the call allowed Jose Altuve to hit a single, loading the bases for LaMonte Wade Jr., who contributed with an RBI. Christian Walker followed with a three-run double, narrowing the Sox lead to 5-4. Despite Bryan Hudson striking out one batter, Cam Smith’s two-run homer put the Astros ahead 6-5. The Astros continued to capitalize on their opportunities, stretching their lead to 8-5 during this inning.
White Sox starter Davis Martin was candid about his and others’ performance during the inning. “The sixth inning’s tone-setting was poor from my part, leading to bigger moments against us,”
he admitted.
Despite the setback in this inning, Braden Montgomery achieved a career-high three hits. The Sox maintained their first-place position in the American League Central, staying 1.5 games ahead of Cleveland, who lost 11-3 to the Tampa Bay Rays.
Earlier, Sox capitalized on Astros’ pitching errors, taking a 5-0 lead after the fifth inning. However, the offense struggled later, going 2-for-16 with runners in scoring position.
“We did have opportunities but couldn’t capitalize,” Venable admitted regarding the sudden shift in the sixth inning. “Today five runs weren’t enough.”
This inning featured a significant turning point when Astros sent 14 batters to the plate, marking the most runs allowed by the Sox in any inning this year. Martin finished with four runs allowed on six hits over five-plus innings. Bryan Hudson allowed another four runs in only two-thirds of an inning, a notable setback given his strong performance earlier in the season.
After the game, Martin reflected on his efforts, particularly focusing on successful moments against talented hitters such as Jeremy Peña and Yordan Álvarez in crucial situations earlier in the game. “I’m thrilled with handling those jams,”
he said. “I’m focused on pressing forward, improving, and finishing innings strong next time.”
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