ALDS: 'Stros Roll over Chisox in 4

Houston Continues to Roll

After a winning the play in game at the ’25 A’s, and then coming back towards the future to Cleveland to squeak out a 1-0 win over the 2013 Indians in the Wild Card game, the Way Back Machine deposited the Astros in Comisky Park, circa 1977.

Game #1

HOU  5   9 3

CWS  9 12 0

WP – Kravec  LP – Fields

HR – Zisk, Soderholm

Lance McCullers got the Game 1 start vs. lefty Ken Kravec.  The scoring started in the bottom of the 2^nd when Richie Zisk walked and Jim Spencer singled him to 3^rd.  Soderholm then walked to load the bases with no one out.  Ralph Garr followed with a sac fly to left center to score Zisk.  McCullers bore down and struck out Jim Essian and Alan Bannister to get out of trouble with just the one run scoring.

In the 4^th Altuve hit a one out single and with two out Marwin Gonzalez doubled to send Altuve to 3^rd.  Colby Rasmus then followed with a single to bring them both in and put Houston up 2-1.  In the home half, Zisk doubled, went to 3^rd on a wild pitch and scored as Garr netted his 2^nd RBI with a single up the middle.

Houston went out in front again in the 5^th when George Springer scored Chris Carter from second with a single to center. In the bottom of the 6^th Josh Fields relieved McCullers.  Garr doubled and Essian drove him home with a double of his own to make the score 3-3 heading to the 7^th.

Houston went in order and Fields came out for his 2^nd inning of relief.  Chet Lemon grounded to Altuve who threw the ball into the stands allowing Lemon to take 2^nd.  Fields struck out Oscar Gamble and then turned the ball over to Chad Qualls.  Qualls struck out Zisk and looked like he might escape, but Spencer singled to left and then Soderholm launched a 2 run shot to left to give the Sox a 6-3 lead.

In the 8^th, Zisk added a 3 Run homer to extend the lead to 9-3.  In the 9^th, Houston scored 2 runs on a Chris Carter double before Villar grounded out to end the game.

Game #2

HOU 9 12 3

CWS 8 12 1

WP – Feldman   LP – Barrios  Sv – Gregerson

HR – Springer, Villar, Rasmus, Zisk, Essian

Chicago picked up where they left off in Game 1, with Zisk clonking a solo HR to lead of the 2^nd and   In the top of the 3^rd Rasmus and Gattis singled before Castro drove Rasmus in with a double down the right field line and Springer pulled a 3 run HR to left, giving the Stros a 4-3 lead.  In the bottom half of the 3^rd, Lemon reached on an error, moved to 3^rd on a Zisk single and scored on a Spencer single to tie the score at 4-4.

Essian knocking out a 2 run shot later in the inning.

In the 5^th, Castro walked and with one out Villar pulled a ball to right field stands to put Houston back up 6-4.  And in the 6^th, Valbuena double and scored on Colby Rasmus’ 2 run shot to right making the score 8-4.  In the 7^th Houston added an insurance run on a Villar single and Preston Tucker double. 

In the bottom of the 7^th, Lemon reached on a single and Tony Sipp came in to relieve Feldman and face Gamble.  Gamble walked and then Zisk also walked to load the bases with no one out.  With the lefty on the hill, Chi Sox manager Thomas brought in Lance Johnson to PH for Spencer and he lined a single to left to score Lemon.  Sipp got Soderholm to pop out but Ralph Garr droved in another one with a single up the middle.  Will Harris came in to slow things down and induced Essian to ground to short.  But Correa bobbled the ball, allowing another run to score and the inning to continue.  Harris got Bannister to strike out, but the Sox were back in this one, 9-7.   Luke Gregerson came in for the 9^th and made it interesting allowing a run on a Bannister single before closing it out.  9-8 Astros.

Game #3

CWS 2 2 0

HOU 6 7 0

WP – Fields   LP – Kucek  Sv – Harris

HR – Villar, Correa

The teams headed to Houston for Game 3 with Dave Frost going up against Dallas Keuchel.  Houston got on the board first when Villar drove in Jake Marisnick with a 2 out single.  The White Sox came back in the 5^th against Keuchel.  Dallas gave up a single to Soderholm and then loaded the bases with two one out walks to Brian Downing and Bannister.  That brought Ralph Garr to the plate who bounced one to the pitcher.  Keuchel too long to make his throw to the plate and everyone was safe, and the game was tied.  Chet Lemon drove Downing in with a long fly to left and the White Sox had the lead halfway through. 

Frost left after 6 innings allowing only 1 run on 3 hits and turned the ball over to Jack Kucek.  A walk, a double and a walk loaded the bases and Springer tied the game with a sac fly.  Then Jonathan Villar knocked a 3 run HR to take the lead, 5-2.  Carlos Correa added a solo HR leading of the 8^th and that was the ball game.  Astros win 6-2 and lead the series 2-1. 

Game #4

CWS   4   7 1

HOU 11 16 1

WP – McHugh  LP- Stone

HR – Lemon, Gamble 2, Essian, Springer, Rasmus

With their backs to the wall the White Sox sent Steve Stone to the mound to face Collin McHugh.  McHugh was still riding high off his win in the play in game vs the A’s.   While McHugh was still patting him self on the back, Chet Lemon and Oscar Gamble went back to back with solo HR’s in the top of the first.  Collin settled down and in the bottom of the 3^rd the Astros tied it up on a Castro double and a Villar sac fly. 

Essian led of the 5^th inning with a solo HR to put the Sox back up on top.  In the bottom of the 5^th Houston erupted for 5 runs, the big hit being a bases loaded double by Jose Altuve that scored 3.  Springer padded the lead with a solo HR in the bottom of the 6^th.  Rasmus hit a solo shot in the 7^th and the Astros added two more runs in the 8^th.  Oscar Gamble led of the 9^th with his 2^nd HR of the day, but that was it for the White Sox as the Astros took the game 11-4 and the series 3-1.

--submitted by Tom Landers--