White Sox 6, Astros 0
HOUSTON -- With his spot in the rotation on shaky ground, John Danks threw a shutout and the Chicago White Sox claimed the rubber match of their three-game series with the Houston Astros 6-0 on Sunday at Minute Maid Park.
Danks (3-4) worked more than seven innings for the first time this season while also recording his first shutout of the season. He had surrendered 11 earned runs over his last two starts and 10 1/3 innings, but against the Astros (31-20), Danks was in control from the first pitch.
Danks scattered 10 hits and matched his season high of 118 pitches, including 82 strikes. He walked one batter and posted six strikeouts.
The White Sox (23-26) provided early run support against Houston right-hander Roberto Hernandez, scratching across one run on three singles in the second inning before expanding their lead to 4-0 with a three-run third inning.
Center fielder Adam Eaton (single), left fielder Melky Cabrera (double), and first baseman Adam LaRoche (walk) reached in succession to open the third. Eaton and Cabrera then scored on a two-run single by designated hitter Conor Gillaspie. Shortstop Alexei Ramirez followed with a run-scoring groundout, taking advantage of a poor decision by Astros right fielder George Springer, whose throw home on the Gillaspie single enabled Ramirez to advance to third base.
The Astros were guilty of several baserunning blunders throughout the series, with shortstop Jonathan Villar adding a key one in the finale.
With Houston trailing 4-0, Villar opened the fifth inning with a triple to straightaway center field. However, Villar attempted to score on the play, following the advice of third-base coach Gary Pettis. Ramirez nailed Villar with a relay throw.
White Sox shortstop Carlos Sanchez added an RBI single in the sixth inning before LaRoche drilled his sixth home run the opposite way to left field off Astros right-hander Jake Buchanan in the seventh.
Hernandez (2-4) allowed five runs (four earned) on eight hits and one walk with two strikeouts before departing with two outs in the sixth.
Villar committed a throwing error in the sixth inning, allowing Ramirez to reach. Ramirez scored the fifth Chicago run on the Sanchez base hit.
NOTES: White Sox 1B Jose Abreu missed his second consecutive game with right index finger inflammation and remains day-to-day. Abreu, who re-aggravated the injury in the series opener on Friday night and departed in the eighth inning, has received steady treatment and is eyeing a return to the lineup on Tuesday against the Texas Rangers. ... White Sox LHP John Danks recorded the 1,000th strikeout of his career by fanning Astros RF George Springer to open the bottom of the first inning. ... The Astros' 50-game start of 31-19 is tied for the best in franchise history, matching that of the 1998 club that finished with a franchise-record 102 victories.