The Houston Astros faced the White Sox for the third game of the four-game series Wednesday night. After starting the series off strong with a win, they took a loss Tuesday. That being said, they were able to take back control Wednesday night, winning 2-0.
Hayden Wesneski took the mound for Houston. Wesneski was coming off of his best start of the season against the New York Yankees. The Astros desperately needed a solid pitching performance on the mound, and he delivered.
Wesneski had back-to-back strikeouts to start the game and kept the White Sox off the board. In the second, the White Sox put two runners on. Wesneski hit Colson Montgomery with a pitch, but he settled in from there. Chase Meidroth hit a soft liner to second, Altuve nearly bobbled it but recovered in time to get the force at second. Then the Astros turned a double play at third to end the threat. Another scoreless inning for Wesneski.
Daulton Varsho stole a base, he is 11 for 11 stealing bases this season. Unfortunately, it didn't do much for the Astros since Davis Martin struck out Trammell and then Smith to end the inning.
Wesneski walked a couple of batters in the third, but he was able to get out of another inning scoreless.
Yordan Alvarez finally got things going with a double, his 29th of the year. Paredes followed up with a basehit getting Alvarez to third base.
Altuve popped one up, and Varsho struck out. Taylor Trammell flew out to left, and Martin was able to get out of a jam, still scoreless.
The Astros left runners on again later in the game without anything to show for it.
However, Wesneski left the game with a stellar performance. He was able to give the Astros seven shutout innings, allowing just one hit while striking out five and walking two.
It wasn't until the eighth inning that they were able to get the ball rolling. With one out, Alvarez singled, Paredes walked, and Altuve was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Pinch-runner Nick Allen was thrown out at home trying to score on a grounder by Varsho, but the Astros were still in it. Nelson Velázquez came through with a two-run single into left-center, bringing Paredes and Altuve home to put the Astros on the board, 2-0.
A.J. Blubaugh worked around trouble in the eighth to hold on to the lead, and Josh Hader came in to close things out in the ninth, his 22nd save of the season. Between Wesneski, Blubaugh, and Hader the Astros had a dominant performance on the mound and were able to secure a shutout win. An important one. The Astros are now 71-69 with the Rangers two games back.
The Astros have the opportunity to take three out of four Thursday night, and it would be the necessary boost they need to hold on to the division lead.
