Astros 5, White Sox 1: Death by free bases ...

Fresh off of an embarrassing series loss in Kansas City, the South Siders picked up right where they left off, with another miserable clunker against those dastardly Houston Astros. Waterlogged fans in attendance waited out downpours and drizzles before the team announced a 9:20 p.m. CT start time. It was hard for many not to wonder if they were merely being milked for beer and concessions money on a dreary and miserable Friday night. Gotta love how this org treats its loyal fans.

Sox had a pregame team meeting, so at least they had that going for them. Too bad it didn’t manifest in substantively improved play tonight.

After a 2:10 rain delay, the White Sox honored José Abreu with a tribute video, and Abreu briefly acknowledged the Sox faithful in attendance, popping out of the visitor’s dugout with a fist held high. He might not love Chicago so much anymore, but we still love you Pito, even wearing that wretched jersey.

Michael Kopech and his 5.97 ERA threw the first pitch at 9:21 p.m. and we were finally underway. The righty retired the first two batters, walked Yordan Álvarez, but struck out Kyle Tucker to end the inning.

After only 11 pitches, Astros pitching coach Troy Snitker was ejected for arguing balls and strikes. Home plate umpire Mark Wegner certainly wasn’t having it.

Abreu got a nice standing ovation before his first at-bat to lead off the second inning, then lined a ball 109 mph to Elvis Andrus for the first out. Kopech and the Astros dugout got a little chippy during the inning, but he retired the side in order.

With one out in the bottom of the second, Luis Robert Jr. CRUSHED a four-seam fastball 428 happy feet to left-center to make it 1-0, Good Guys, after two.

Sadly, that would be the only Sox hit for the next three innings.

Kopech started the third inning by hitting Jake Meyers, but retired the next three in order, touching 98 mph with the heater.

Kopech walked Tucker to lead off the fourth inning, and he stole second base easily as Seby Zavala’s throw sailed high. An Abreu ground out moved Tucker to third, and Peña brought him home with a sac fly to right field. Yes, Houston tied up the game without the benefit of a hit. Walks have haunted Kopech this season (1.57 WHIP), and tonight was no different. The White Sox lack of fundamentals certainly weren’t helping matters.

On to the fifth inning, when Kopech, with his pitch count climbing and struggling with his control, issued a leadoff walk. After a second walk of the inning with one out, Andrew Benintendi made a nice running catch to retire Álvarez. On the other hand, Benintendi’s best efforts couldn't rein in Tucker’s double slicing into the left field corner and the Astros took a 2-1 lead. That would be the end of Kopech’s night.

Walks, walks, and more walks.

Robert led off the bottom of the fifth with a single, the Sox first hit since his blast in the second inning. Sheets battled but struck out on 10 pitches. Seby Zavala singled with one out and the Sox had the makings of a threat, but Elvis Andrus flew out to center on the first pitch. Who the hell knows what he was trying to do there. Adam Haseley then grounded out to shortstop to swiftly end the threat.

Gregory Santos took the sixth. Julks reached on an infield single, stole second, and scored on a Maldonado one-out double to make the score 3-1. Then Dubón doubled, as human white flag Aaron Bummer warmed in the bullpen, scoring Maldonado to make it 4-1. The game was slipping away for the home team.

Bummer and his 10.80 ERA managed to pitch an inning and only give up a single to Abreu, his first at Sox Park as a visitor. So that’s something.

Sheets drew the first Sox walk of the game with two outs in the seventh inning, which bounced J.P. France from the game with a line of 6 2⁄3 innings pitched, three hits, one earned run, one walk, and three strikeouts. Hector Neris came on to punch out out Seby Zavala and retire the side.

Keynan Middleton entered for the eighth and surrendered Houston’s seventh walk on the evening, as it was death by free bases tonight. While Middleton managed to not allow the leadoff walk to score for a change, it was too little too late for this one.

After Andrus left the game with an apparent side injury, Álvarez put the nail in the coffin with a monstrous blast to deep right field in the ninth.

The White Sox went meekly in the bottom half, falling, 5-1. The club falls to an impossibly bad 13-27 on the season.

Yes friends, that about sums this one up. And goodnight!

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