The Chicago White Sox aimed to rally against the Houston Astros on Monday. Trailing by four runs, they loaded the bases with two outs in the sixth inning. The Astros called on left-handed reliever Bennett Sousa, who faced right-handed pinch-hitter Randal Grichuk. Grichuk swung at a slider and flew out to left field as the Sox struggled to find key hits, leading to a 6-3 loss in front of 21,236 fans at Daikin Park.
The White Sox had a tough night at the plate, hitting only 1-for-8 with runners in scoring position and leaving 14 stranded on base as they dropped the opener of the four-game series. Although they drew 10 walks, they also struck out 11 times. Manager Will Venable noted the missed opportunities, especially with Grichuk at the plate with the bases loaded. Despite some good at-bats, Houston starter Peter Lambert effectively stifled their offense.
White Sox pitcher Anthony Kay started strong, but the Astros quickly capitalized on their chances. In the third inning, Nick Allen reached on a throwing error by third baseman Miguel Vargas. He then scored the first run of the game on a fielder’s choice. The Sox generated a response in the fourth inning, notching two runs, including a bases-loaded walk by Munetaka Murakami. However, Vargas lined out to second, leaving the bases loaded.
The Astros regained the lead in the fourth amid a confusing sequence. With two outs, a pitch to Cam Smith was called a ball, though the Sox believed it was a foul. This led to a miscount, as Venable explained, “I thought the second pitch was a foul ball, but once we got deeper in the count, it was incorrect.” Smith then tripled to right field, just beyond Braden Montgomery’s diving attempt. Nelson Velázquez followed with a homer, putting the Astros ahead 3-2.
“I thought it was a foul ball,” Kay expressed. “But as the next pitch happened, it was too late to argue.”
In the fifth inning, Sam Antonacci narrowly missed a leaping catch at the wall on a hit by Isaac Paredes, loading the bases. Christian Walker walked, extending the lead to 4-2. Smith later delivered a two-run double against reliever Trevor Richards, making it 6-2. Kay’s performance resulted in six runs (five earned) on six hits over 4 2/3 innings, despite a positive self-assessment.
“Overall, I felt I threw the ball well,” Kay stated. “The missed call made a difference.”
The White Sox missed another chance with the bases loaded in the sixth, remaining down 6-2. Colson Montgomery reduced the gap with his 29th home run in the seventh, yet Houston held firm. The first-place Sox, now 72-65, maintain a three-game lead over the Cleveland Guardians (69-68) as they enter the final month of the regular season.
Colson Montgomery remarked, “September will be a grind. We’ll take it one game at a time against strong divisional teams.”
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