White Sox 5 - 6 Astros
Final
  for this game

Astros use early offense to take down ChiSox

May 18, 2014 - 3:03 AM Houston, TX (SportsNetwork.com) - Jason Castro's three-run homer punctuated a four-run first inning which helped lead the Houston Astros to a 6-5 win over the Chicago White Sox at Minute Maid Park on Saturday.

Dexter Fowler finished 3-for-4 with a solo home run, two RBI and a pair of runs scored, while George Springer had an RBI triple for Houston, which has won four of its last six contests.

Jarred Cosart (3-3) yielded three runs on seven hits while walking four in five full frames. Chad Qualls pitched a 1-2-3 ninth to secure his third save of the season.

"Tonight it goes to the offense and the bullpen held it up at the end. We were happy to pull it out," said Cosart.

Hector Noesi (0-4) surrendered six runs -- five earned -- on eight hits and three walks with six strikeouts over six-plus innings.

Jose Abreu, Gordon Beckham, Alexi Ramirez, Alejandro De Aza and Moises Sierra all drove in a run for the White Sox, who have lost five of their last seven.

Jose Altuve singled to begin the home first and came around to score on a Springer triple to the hill in center. After Fowler was walked, Castro drove a fastball into the stands in right to give the Astros an early 4-0 lead.

"He (Noesi) stubbed his toe coming out in that first inning, it didn't seem like he could get on track in the first inning," said White Sox manager Robin Ventura.

An Adam Dunn walk and single by Dayan Viciedo put the first two on in the Chicago second. Following a wild pitch, Ramirez hit a sacrifice fly to score Dunn. Back-to-back walks loaded the bases for Sierra, who drove in Ramirez on a fly to right, but the inning ended with De Aza thrown out at third.

Abreu's RBI groundout to second in the third cut the Sox deficit to 4-3. It scored Beckham, who started the frame with a double off the center-field wall.

Fowler's solo shot to left field, his third homer of the year, kicked off the fifth and provided a two-run margin for the hosts.

In the seventh, Fowler's line drive single to left scored Springer from second to make it 6-3 Houston.

The White Sox spoiled reliever Kyle Farnsworth's Astros debut. Farnsworth, who was let go by the Mets earlier in the week, walked Viciedo and gave up a double to Ramirez to start the eighth. Viciedo crossed the plate on a De Aza sac fly and Ramirez scored on a Beckham single to pull Chicago within one.

Darin Downs was able to get Conor Gillaspie to pop out in foul territory to end the eighth, then Qualls made things less interesting for the Astros in the ninth.

Game Notes

Altuve extended his hitting streak to nine games, thanks to his 2-for-5 performance ... Fowler has drawn a walk in seven straight games, a career high ... Astros reliever Tony Sipp, who tossed a scoreless seventh, has retired all 20 batters he has faced this season ... Chicago was 1-for-10 with runners in scoring position, while Houston went 2-for-11.






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