Houston Erases 5-0 Deficit With Six-Run Sixth, Stuns Chicago
Down five runs heading into the sixth inning, Houston erupted for six runs in a single frame to flip the scoreboard and never looked back. Cam Smith's two-run homer — 383 feet to left — was the dagger, swinging Chicago's win probability from 69% to 41% in one swing.
Chicago looked like it had this one locked up early. The White Sox jumped on Houston for three runs in the first inning — a sacrifice fly from C. Montgomery, an RBI single from Braden Montgomery, and a hit-by-pitch that scored Vargas — before adding two more in the fifth on a pair of wild pitches and a Meidroth double to center that scored B. Montgomery. At 5-0, the story of the night appeared to be a White Sox offense that was doing exactly what it needed to do against a Houston club that couldn't get out of its own way. Braden Montgomery finished 3-for-5 with an RBI and a run scored, and Chase Meidroth drove in two — the kind of complementary production that usually holds up.
It didn't. The sixth inning was a complete unraveling for Chicago. Wade Jr. singled to right to score Alvarez and get Houston on the board. Then Walker doubled to left, clearing the bases and scoring Paredes, Wade Jr., and Altuve in one shot to make it 4-5. That set the stage for Smith, who sent a 383-foot shot to left to score Walker and put Houston ahead 6-5. The inning wasn't done — Altuve reached on an infield single to score Peña, and Wade Jr. drew a walk to score Alvarez, pushing it to 8-5. Six runs, one inning, game over in all but name. Jose Altuve went 3-for-5 with an RBI and a run scored; Christian Walker drove in three on his lone hit; Wade Jr. contributed two RBI on just one hit and a walk. Houston's lineup looks like it found another gear when it needed one most.
On the mound, Davis Martin took the loss after allowing 4 earned runs on 6 hits over 5.0 innings with 3 strikeouts and no walks — serviceable until the sixth-inning avalanche hit his bullpen. Trevor Richards was sharp in relief, going 2.0 innings with 3 strikeouts and no earned runs, but the damage was already done. For Houston, AJ Blubaugh and Bryan Abreu combined for 3.0 innings of one-hit, scoreless ball — exactly the kind of bridge work that lets a big offensive inning breathe. Vázquez added a ground rule double in the ninth to score Trammell and make it 9-5, a final coat of paint on what was already a finished canvas. Final: Houston 9, Chicago 5.