Nelson Velazquez slugged a mammoth two-run homer, Cam Smith recorded two extra-base hits and two RBIs, and the Houston Astros defeated the visiting Chicago White Sox 6-3 in the opener of a four-game series between first-place clubs on Monday.
The Astros maintained their two-game lead in the American League West over the Texas Rangers with their fifth victory in seven games. The White Sox took a second consecutive loss following a four-game winning streak and saw their lead in the AL Central slide to three games over the idle Cleveland Guardians.
Houston reliever Enyel De Los Santos (3-3) threw one scoreless inning. Bryan Abreu earned his eighth save with a hitless ninth inning.
Velazquez erased a 2-1 deficit in the bottom of the fourth inning with his fifth homer of the season and first in eight games with the Astros. His 415-foot drive to left field came with two outs against White Sox starter Anthony Kay (9-7), who retired the first two batters of the fourth before surrendering a triple to Smith.
Kay surrendered a run-scoring fielder’s-choice grounder to Yordan Alvarez in the third that gave the Astros a 1-0 lead. The White Sox struck back in the top of the fourth against Astros right-hander Peter Lambert, who allowed a single to Chase Meidroth that scored Colson Montgomery, who had doubled.
Later in the fourth, Lambert issued a bases-loaded walk to Munetaka Murakami that gave the White Sox a 2-1 lead.
Lambert wound up allowing two runs on three hits in 4 2/3 innings. He logged six strikeouts and a season-high five walks.
The Astros’ three-run fifth inning featured a bases-loaded walk from Christian Walker that plated Christian Vazquez. Kay departed after striking out Daulton Varsho for the second out of the frame, but Smith greeted reliever Trevor Richards with a two-run double to left, extending the margin to 6-2.
Montgomery finished 2-for-3 with a double, two walks and his 29th home run, a solo shot off Bennett Sousa in the seventh.
