The winning streak continues for Houston. The Astros beat the White Sox 4-1 Saturday night to take the series lead.
Hunter Brown was absolutely dominant, seven shutout innings, two hits, seven strikeouts, zero walks. Saturday night was another reminder of just how good Hunter Brown is.
The Astros win their fifth straight game, tying their season-high winning streak, and will look to complete the sweep Sunday afternoon with the chance to have back to back sweeps.
Hunter Brown was simply outstanding. He retired 21 of 23 batters he faced including his final 12 in a row. He improved to 2-1 on the season and 5-0 with a 2.27 ERA in five career starts against the White Sox, per ESPN. This was his seventh start since returning from the IL after missing 11 weeks, and he is back better than ever. This was the Hunter Brown the Astros have been waiting for all season.
Jeremy Peña had three hits and scored twice, extending his hitting streak to seven games and giving him hits in 14 of his last 15 games. He became the first Astros player with three consecutive three-hit games since Jose Altuve in April 2024. Another player who is showing up big time after returning from the IL.
Isaac Paredes came through in a big way. He drove in three runs with a bases-loaded single in the sixth. A third run scored when the ball slid past Braden Montgomery for an error.
It was 4-0 until the ninth inning. Montgomery hit an RBI single off pitcher Bennett Sousa in the ninth inning, making it the only run for the White Sox all night.
Then Josh Hader stepped in and did what he does best. He closed out another game. Hader got two outs for his 12th save of the season.
The Astros are now 52-54 and riding a five game winning streak, tying their season-high winning streak set back in March. The momentum is building at exactly the right time. They have all the tools and look like they finally figured out how to use them, but the question remains: can they keep it going or will they unravel?
Hunter Brown looked like the ace the Astros have been missing all season. If he can keep pitching like this the Astros rotation looks a lot more dangerous. The Astros look to complete the sweep Sunday afternoon at Rate Field, and Ronel Blanco will take the mound for Houston. Can they keep the momentum going?
