Astros 3, White Sox 0
HOUSTON -- Dallas Keuchel set a career high in strikeouts and pitched the Houston Astros to a 3-0 victory over the Chicago White Sox on Saturday at Minute Maid Park to square their three-game series.
Keuchel (7-1), coming off his first loss of the season in Baltimore on Memorial Day, finished with 11 strikeouts while dominating the White Sox (22-26). He limited Chicago to just four hits, all singles, retired the side in order in the first, seventh and ninth innings, and utilized timely double plays to stamp out potential uprisings in the fifth and eighth innings.
Excluding a passed ball that enabled White Sox catcher Geovany Soto to reach second base in the third, Keuchel did not allow a runner into scoring position. Keuchel lowered his ERA to 1.76 with his eighth career complete game and second shutout. He threw 113 pitches, 78 for strikes.
The Astros (31-19) forced Keuchel to pitch on edge as they scratched just one run across against White Sox left-hander Jose Quintana (2-6).
Left fielder Preston Tucker opened the fourth inning with an opposite-field single to left field, advanced to third base on Evan Gattis' opposite-field single to right and scored on a sacrifice fly by third baseman Jonathan Villar. Had Gattis not overrun first base on his hit, perhaps the Astros could have manufactured an additional run. However, Gattis more than made up for his blunder in the eighth inning.
With one out and Houston clinging to a 1-0 lead, Gattis bashed a solo home run to left field off right-hander Dan Jennings, doubling the advantage with his 11th homer of the season. First baseman Chris Carter followed with his eighth home run, also to left, providing Keuchel the insurance he needed to retake the mound in the top of the ninth.
Quintana, meanwhile, pitched well in defeat, allowing just one run on five hits and four walks, with seven strikeouts, over 6 1/3 innings.
NOTES: White Sox RF Avisail Garcia returned to the starting lineup after missing five games because of right knee inflammation. Despite an ailment that led to his removal from Monday's game at Toronto, Garcia entered Saturday batting .362 (34-for-99) with four doubles, three home runs and 15 RBIs over his last 25 games. He went 1-for-4 on Saturday. ... White Sox 1B Jose Abreu did not play because of inflammation in his right index finger. Abreu sustained the injury during batting practice two weeks ago and aggravated it Friday night. X-rays on Friday were negative. ... Astros RHP Samuel Deduno struggled with his control during a rehab outing with Triple-A Fresno on Friday night. Deduno pitched one inning of relief, allowing one run on four walks with two strikeouts. Deduno landed on the 15-day disabled list on May 14 because of a lower right back strain.