Brown delivers clutch outing, bullpen holds lead as Astros win 4-3 to take series
After two rough starts to kick off May, Hunter Brown was much better on Mother’s Day to help the Astros win 4-3 against the White Sox and take the three-game series home. The Astros scored all of their runs early in the contest and limited opposing hitters to seal their fourth win out of their last five games.
Coming off allowing 13 hits and six earned runs through 8 2/3 innings, Brown was dealing today and induced 19 swings-and-misses, which is tied for third-most for an Astros pitcher this year. The 24-year-old rookie enjoyed a beautiful combo of his four-seamer and his knuckle curveball to fool White Sox hitters for most of the game.
Over 5 2/3 innings, Brown surrendered seven hits and three earned runs while walking one and striking out eight, matching his season-high. He allowed a solo shot to Luis Robert Jr., who homered in every game of the series. Brown got his fourth win of the campaign and improved his record to 4-1, 3.43 ERA.
Fortunately, the Astros backed him up early with a three-run rally in the first inning. With men on the corners, Yordan Álvarez greeted Lucas Giolito with a 309-foot, two-run double to extend his on-base streak to 38 games. In the same inning, Kyle Tucker made it 3-0 with a sacrifice fly.
In Yordan we trust. pic.twitter.com/WQ7Ryyu0Vb — Houston Astros (@astros) May 14, 2023
Minutes later, in the fourth, Yainer Díaz swatted his first home run in the bigs and got the famous silent treatment when he got to the dugout – but just for a few seconds before being crowded and congratulated by his teammates.
Díaz’s was a 424-foot no-doubter off Giolito…
NOT A DRILL.
YAINER DIAZ FIRST HOME RUN! pic.twitter.com/yqitBnF33X — Houston Astros (@astros) May 14, 2023
With one run in the fourth and two more in the sixth inning, the White Sox got closer to the Astros and made it 4-3. However, after a hard night on Saturday for Houston’s bullpen, it was not gonna happen again on Sunday as the Astros relievers did their job with no problem.
Seth Martínez, Héctor Neris, Bryan Abreu, and closer Ryan Pressly were the men manager Dusty Baker used in this game to get away with the W. They combined for 3 1/3 innings of no hits, no runs, one walk, and five punchouts.
Winning in the WINdy City. pic.twitter.com/RlCfXt5l3v — Houston Astros (@astros) May 14, 2023
Now, the Astros will come back to Minute Maid Park to host the Chicago Cubs for a three-game set from Monday to Wednesday. All three games will start at 7:10 pm CT.
VIDEOS AND BOX SCORE HERE.
Source: The Crawfish Boxes
