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Remember when the Astros gave Lance McCullers Jr. a five-year extension in late May, just before the start of the season? Well, that was for outings like this. With McCullers Jr. at the top of his game and Yordan Álvarez torturing rival pitchers, the Astros hit the first in the American League division series, with a 6-1 victory at Minute Maid Park.
The Astros got off to a good start against Lance Lynn of the White Sox, who only lasted 3 2/3 frames. In the second inning, after McCullers pitched two no-hitting frames, Jake Meyers hit a single from Lynn’s opposite field to lead to Álvarez. A set later, Houston scored two more runs after a choice play by a defensive player and an RBI brace from Yordan. The round included this superb home slide by José Altuve…
As for McCullers, he gave Yoán Moncada his first hit of the game with a retired man in the first quarter. But overall, the White Sox had a rough afternoon against the 28-year-old right-hander, who finished after 6 white innings and 2/3 of four hits, no walks and four strikeouts to secure his second. career playoff victory.
While McCullers was on the mound, Moncada and Luis Robert were the only White Sox players to advance to second base. But all the hits he allowed were simple. His success relied almost entirely on the mixture of pellets, sliders and curved bullets, a combination that generated eight puffs and 28 called strikes.
“He likes to be in these kinds of games. I kinda expected that from him and he did. I’m so happy for him, ”Altuve said of McCullers Jr.“
Back on the offensive, another big round took place in the fourth. As the White Sox got their first hit of the game, Altuve and Michael Brantley scored two more runs to make it 5-0. In the fifth, minutes later, Álvarez threw a 411-foot moonshot against Reynaldo López, the last inning of the game for the Astros.
Then the eighth inning was a bit troubled for Houston with Kendall Graveman making an appearance in relief. After striking out Adam Engel and Leury García with five shots, Tim Anderson got a two-out single, Graveman walked Moncada and José Abreu hit an RBI single to produce the only set of the game for the White Sox.
Ryan Pressly ended things with 21 shots and two strikeouts to Eloy Jiménez and Gavin Sheets. It was his fifth career playoff stoppage.
The good thing is that the Astros managed and held a comfortable lead, got enough innings from McCullers Jr., and despite arduous innings from Graveman and Pressly, rested some of their other relievers, which may be fresh for the second. series match.
On Friday (1:07 p.m. CT), the two teams clash again with Framber Valdez on the mound for the Astros and Lucas Giolito with the ball for Chicago.
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