HOUSTON (AP) — Luis Robert Jr. homered twice and had a season-high four hits along with four RBIs in the Chicago White Sox’s 5-4 victory over the Houston Astros on Friday night.
The majors-worst White Sox (30-93) won for the second time in four games, snapping the AL West-leading Astros’ season-best winning streak at eight games.
Pinch-hitter Jon Singleton hit a solo home run for Houston off Chad Kuhl with two outs in the ninth to cut it to 5-4. But Kuhl struck out Jose Altuve to end it and get his first save.
Robert hit a two-run homer in the third and added a solo shot in the fifth as the White Sox built a 4-1 lead. It’s the seventh career two-homer game for Robert and his first since March 30 against Detroit.
A two-run home run by Jake Meyers got Houston to 4-3 in the sixth, but Robert added some insurance with an RBI single with two outs in the eighth.
His first hit of the night came on a single in the first, but he was thrown out trying to stretch it into a double.
The Astros struck out a season-high 16 times as they lost for the first time since Aug. 5.
White Sox starter Garrett Crochet allowed four hits and a run with nine strikeouts in four innings. Chad Kuhl
Houston starter Spencer Arrighetti (5-11) yielded seven hits and four runs in 5 2/3 innings.
Andrew Vaughn singled to start the second before Korey Lee doubled with one out in the inning. Michael Vargas walked to load the bases and the White Sox made it 1-0 when Vaughn scored when Dominic Fletcher grounded into a force out.
A single to left field by Nicky Lopez opened the third before Robert sent a fastball from Arrighetti off the wall in left field to make it 3-0.
Altuve hit a ground-rule double with two outs in the bottom of the inning that knocked out a digit on the manual out of town scoreboard on the wall below the seats in left field. The Astros cut it to 3-1 when he scored on a single by Yordan Alvarez.
Robert connected off Arrighetti again with two outs in the fifth on a solo shot to the first row of the seats in left field to make it 4-1.
The Astros had two on and one out in the fifth, but Alvarez grounded into a double play to end the inning.
The White Sox were up by 3 when Victor Caratini singled with two outs in the sixth. Meyers followed with his shot to left field off Touki Toussaint to cut the lead to 4-3.
Zach Dezenzo walked before Mauricio Dubón doubled to left field to chase Toussaint. He was replaced by Justin Anderson (1-0) and he escaped the jam when Chas McCormick grounded out on his first pitch to end the inning.
TRAINER’S ROOM
White Sox: RHP Matt Foster was reinstated from the 60-day injured list Friday. … RHP Dominic Leone (Tommy John surgery) was transferred to the 60-day injured list.
Astros: Ace Justin Verlander (neck stiffness) allowed four hits and two runs in four innings for Double-A Corpus Christi in his second rehabilitation start Thursday night. Manager Joe Espada said he would throw a bullpen Sunday before they decide what’s next for the right-hander. … 3B Alex Bregman was out of Friday’s lineup because of swelling in the back of his right elbow. Bregman said that the problem began when he slept on it wrong a few days ago. Bregman said he could miss the weekend series and return Monday for the start of a series against the Boston Red Sox.
UP NEXT
Houston RHP Hunter Brown (10-7, 3.96 ERA) was set to face RHP Chris Flexen (2-11, 5.34) on Saturday night.
