Jose Altuve drove in two runs, Yainer Diaz notched his team-leading 68th RBI, and Hunter Brown struck out six as the Houston Astros beat the Chicago White Sox 6-1 on Saturday night.
Brown had his ninth consecutive quality start, allowing just one run over seven innings.
“He knows that he’s a guy we’re going to rely on, and he’s a guy that we want to go deep into games,” said Astros manager Joe Espada. “He knows he’s got ‘A’ stuff.”
Brown has now made 13 straight starts of six or more innings for Houston. This is only the second time this season he has gone seven innings.
This win marks his 11th of the year, tying his career high. Brown is 10-2 with a 2.33 ERA in his 14 starts since June 1, leading the major leagues with 10 wins in that period.
“When you’re having success, it feels good,” Brown said.
Trailing 1-0, the Astros (66-56) scored three runs against White Sox starter Chris Flexen in the third inning. Flexen had retired the first seven batters he faced until rookie Shay Whitcomb got his first major league hit with a double.
“I was pretty relaxed, honestly,” Whitcomb said. “That was a good one.”
Whitcomb went 2 for 3 with a double, a walk, and a run scored in his major league debut. He is the 53rd player in Astros history to get a hit in their first career at-bat.
Whitcomb and Mauricio Dubón scored on Altuve’s two-run single to center field. Houston added another run as Yordan Alvarez drove in Altuve with a single to left field for his 66th RBI.
Houston extended its lead in the fourth inning with Dubón’s sacrifice fly, making the score 4-1.
Flexen (2-12) gave up four runs on seven hits, walked one, and struck out one in four innings. He is 0-9 in his last 18 starts for the White Sox (30-94), none of which they have won.
