White Sox 3, Astros 1: Rafael Montero implodes again in Houston’s loss

CHICAGO — Astros reliever Rafael Montero gave up two runs in the eighth inning as the White Sox snatched a 3-1 win on Saturday, evening the series at a game apiece ahead of Sunday’s finale at Guaranteed Rate Field.

Astros starter Brandon Bielak pitched five innings on 80 pitches while yielding one earned run on a home run, eight hits, no walks and four strikeouts. The outing lowered his ERA to 3.29.

Houston generated just three hard-hit balls against Chicago starter Dylan Cease, who struck out five and did not allow a run in six innings pitched with four hits and two walks surrendered.

The Astros loaded the bases in the opening frame but failed to score. After that, they did not put another runner in scoring position for the next five innings.

For the second day in a row, Luis Robert Jr. gave the White Sox a 1-0 lead via a no-doubt solo home run in the fourth inning. Mauricio Dubón’s RBI single in the seventh knotted the score, but Robert drove in the winning run for the White Sox in the following inning against Montero.

Here are a few takeaways from the game:

Hustle ties it up

Houston’s offense was finally afforded life after a combination of luck and hustle in the seventh inning.

After Jeremy Peña led off with a single, rookie Corey Julks hustled to first base and beat out a potential double play ground ball, a safe call that stood even after Chicago challenged it. Jake Meyers then lofted a two-out single into right field, moving Julks to third base and prompting the White Sox to summon righthander Joe Kelly from their bullpen to face the top of the Astros’ order.

With two strikes in the count, Dubón grounded a high chopper into the dirt in front of home plate. Both Kelly and White Sox first baseman Andrew Vaughn started toward it. The pitcher caught the ball, but the Sox had no one covering first base and Dubón sped to the bag, allowing Julks to score as the tying run.

In the bottom half of the inning, Astros reliever Ryne Stanek issued a two-out walk to Andrew Benintendi, who then went to steal second base and got all the way to third on an errant throw by Astros catcher César Salazar. Stanek stranded him there by striking out Vaughn, momentarily preserving hope that would soon evaporate.

Montero implodes again

Months after the Astros signed him to a three-year contract extension worth $34 million, Montero’s rough spring continued on Saturday.

The righthander entered the game in his customary eighth inning spot with the game tied 1-1 and the heart of the White Sox order due up. On his third pitch, Yoán Moncada rattled off a stand-up double. Robert drove him in on an RBI single then scored himself on a two-out RBI single by Seby Zavala before Montero finally dispatched Chicago’s No. 9 hitter.

It was the third consecutive outing that Montero gave up multiple runs. In 2⅔ innings pitched on the Astros’ three-city road trip, he has allowed eight earned runs and been credited with two losses.