HOUSTON — The Chicago White Sox have their work cut out for them after falling to the Houston Astros, 9-4, in Game 2 of the American League Division Series.
The Astros scored five runs in the seventh to take a commanding 2-0 lead in the best-of-five series. Game 3 is Sunday night at Guaranteed Rate Field.
Friday’s game at Minute Maid Park was tied at 4 entering the seventh.
Yordan Alvarez gave the Astros a lead with an RBI single to center against reliever Aaron Bummer. Leury García couldn’t come up with Carlos Correa’s liner to right, and two runs scored on the double against reliever Craig Kimbrel.
Kyle Tucker followed with a two-run homer to left as a tense game turned into a blowout.
The game featured several momentum swings.
The Sox loaded the bases with one out in the first with a single, a walk and a hit batter.
José Altuve made a nice stop on Eloy Jiménez’s grounder and got a force at second. Luis Robert scored on the play, giving the Sox a 1-0 lead.
The Astros responded with two runs in the second. Tucker tied the game with an RBI single and Chas McCormick put the Astros ahead with a sacrifice fly to left.
The Sox had a scoring chance in the third when Tim Anderson and Robert began the inning with a single and a walk. But José Abreu struck out and Yasmani Grandal grounded into a double play.
The Astros placed runners on the corners with one out in the bottom of the inning. But Lucas Giolito got Alvarez to pop out to Grandal and Yuli Gurriel to fly out to left.
Gurriel made a terrific play at first base in the fourth, fielding a hard-hit grounder by Yoán Moncada that was ticketed for a double and turning it into a double play.
The Sox broke through with three runs in the fifth.
Robert singled to left, bringing home García to tie the game. Abreu followed with an RBI single to center. Anderson scored, giving the Sox a 3-2 lead. Robert scored on a sacrifice fly by Grandal to make it 4-2.
The Astros came back with two in the bottom of the inning.
Giolito exited after issuing a walk to Alex Bregman, the second walk he surrendered in the fifth. He allowed four runs on three hits with four strikeouts and five walks in 4 1/3 innings.
Garrett Crochet entered with runners on first and second and one out. He walked Alvarez, and Gurriel followed with a two-run single, tying the score at 4.
The Sox had runners on first and second with two outs in the seventh when Grandal hit a liner to right. Tucker made a leaping catch to keep the game tied.
The Astros came through with the big hits in the bottom of the inning, placing the Sox in a huge hole as they head home.
