White Sox 4, Astros 2
CHICAGO -- Left-hander Carlos Rodon worked six scoreless innings while first baseman Jose Abreu clubbed his 10th homer of the season to help lift the Chicago White Sox to a 4-2 victory over the Houston Astros on Tuesday.
Rodon (2-0) ended a run of four consecutive no-decisions to claim his first win since May 9 against the Reds.
The White Sox (27-30) captured their second straight victory and first series since taking two of three from the Astros in Houston in late May.
The loss was the sixth straight for the Astros (34-26), who still sit atop the American League West.
Houston left-hander Dallas Keuchel (7-2) worked seven innings and gave up two runs on seven hits, while walking two and striking out five.
Rodon allowed four hits in his six-inning effort. He walked two and struck out five while throwing a season-high 116 pitches, 78 for strikes.
Abreu, who went 2-for-4, drove in shortstop Alexei Ramirez with his two-run homer in the sixth. Ramirez beat out an infield single to open the inning.
Abreu's homer came on Keuchel's 1-1 pitch and landed just beyond the right-field wall for the first runs of the game.
The White Sox added two critical runs in the eighth after loading the bases on Astros right-handed reliever Chad Qualls.
Left fielder Melky Cabrera's double over Preston Tucker reached the left-field wall, allowing Abreu and right fielder Avisail Garcia to score.
Right-handed reliever Josh Fields, who replaced Qualls, walked third baseman Gordon Beckham to again load the bases with none out. But Fields struck out the next three batters to quell further threats.
Houston cut the deficit to 4-2 when shortstop Carlos Correa -- playing in just his second major league game -- slammed a two-run homer to left off White Sox left-handed reliever Zach Duke with none out in the ninth.
Right-handed reliever David Robertson gave up a base hit to catcher Hank Conger but got the next three batters out for his 12th save.
The Astros loaded the bases with one out in the fourth but failed to score. Rodon struck out third baseman Luis Valbuena and then got center fielder Jake Marisnick to ground to short for an inning-ending fielder's choice.
NOTES: Despite enduring a five-game losing streak entering Tuesday, the Astros still had the franchise's second-best start (34-25) through 59 games. The 1999 team was 36-23 in the same span. The Astros lost their sixth straight Tuesday. ... Houston's 34 wins were also the most in the American League. ... Houston SS Carlos Correa's hit and RBI on Monday made him the youngest shortstop (20) with both in a major league debut since Starlin Castro on May 7, 2010. ... Houston 2B Jose Altuve still leads the AL All-Star balloting with 2,809,721 votes in third-round results announced this week. ... RHP Vincent Velasquez makes his debut against White Sox LHP Jose Quintana (2-6, 2.48 ERA) Wednesday in the series finale. ... Wednesday's start will be the 99th of Quintana's career. ... With 14 strikeouts Monday in a 3-1 victory over the Astros, Chicago LHP Chris Sale joined Hall of Famer Sandy Koufax as the only major league pitchers since 1900 to record three straight starts of at least 12 strikeouts and one or no runs allowed. ... After drafting Vanderbilt RHP Carson Fulmer with the No. 8 overall pick Monday, the White Sox didn't get another chance until No. 112 in the fourth round on Tuesday and nabbed Clemson LHP Zack Ervin.