Tucker, Alvarez lead Astros over White Sox
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HOUSTON (AP) — Kyle Tucker hit a pair of run-scoring singles and Yordan Alvarez had three hits to lead the Houston Astros over Chicago White Sox 6-4 on Saturday.
Chicago's Seby Zavala, who played baseball for San Diego State from 2012-15, hit a two-run homer a few hours before the Aztecs played Florida Atlantic in the Final Four of the NCAA Tournament.
Houston's David Hensley, a San Diego State baseball player from 2015-18, went 0 for 4.
With the score 3-3 in the seventh, Alvarez and José Abreu hit consecutive two-out singles off Joe Kelly (0-1) and Tucker greeted José Ruiz with a go-ahead single.
Héctor Neris relieved Ryne Stanek (1-0) with two on in the eighth, and Alvarez and Abreu hit consecutive RBI singles for a 6-3 lead before Neris struck out Elvis Andrus.
Andrus remained at 1,999 hits.
Houston outhit the White Sox 11-10 as the Astros went 6 for 19 with runners in scoring position during a game that took 3 hours, 11 minutes. The White Sox were 2 for 9 RISP.
Eloy Jiménez hit an RBI single with two outs in the ninth, and Neris struck out Yoán Moncada for his first save this season.
Tucker and Chas McCormick hit back-to-back RBI singles in the first off Lucas Giolito, who allowed three runs — two earned— and five hits in five innings with six strikeouts. He was charged a ball for a pitch timer violation in the first inning wgile facing Tucker.
José Urquidy gave up three runs and seven hits in four innings.
Moncada homered in the second, and Zavala's home run in the fourth put Chicago ahead 3-2. Jeremy Peña tied the score with an RBI double in the bottom half.
NICE CATCH
Luis Robert Jr robbed Tucker of extra bases in the third, jumping up against the right-center field fence in front of Houston’s bullpen and snagging the ball.
MORE AWARD CEREMONIES
After receiving their 2022 World Series rings on Friday night, Jose Altuve and Alvarez were presented Silver Slugger Awards before the game. Peña and Tucker received Gold Gloves.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Astros: LHP Blake Taylor (left elbow strain) threw two-thirds scoreless innings in relief Friday night for Triple-A Sugar Land at El Paso in his first game of a rehabilitation assignment.
UP NEXT
The four-game series concludes on Sunday with Houston RHP Luis Garcia and Chicago RHP Mike Clevinger on the mound.
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