Lenyn Sosa drove in two runs and Mike Vasil pitched 2 1/3 innings of scoreless relief to lift the Chicago White Sox to a 5-4 win against the visiting Houston Astros on Sunday in a game shortened due to rain.
Luis Robert Jr. and Edgar Quero had two hits apiece for Chicago. The game was called in the bottom of the seventh following a rain delay of one hour, 20 minutes.
Vasil (1-1) notched the first victory of his career to help the White Sox win a series for the first time since April 11-13. The rookie right-hander walked one and hit a batter but was otherwise unblemished.
Astros right-hander Lance McCullers pitched 3 2/3 scoreless innings in his first start since Game 3 of the 2022 World Series. The veteran right-hander missed the past two seasons following flexor tendon surgery in 2023.
McCullers worked around singles from Miguel Vargas and Luis Robert Jr. in a 22-pitch first inning. The White Sox loaded the bases in the second inning on two walks and a hit-by-pitch but McCullers escaped trouble by retiring Vargas on a popout to second base on his 33rd pitch of the frame.
McCullers scattered three hits, three walks and four strikeouts.
White Sox righty Bryse Wilson retired the first four batters he faced before the next three Astros reached base. Mauricio Dubon grounded a two-run single to center field with two outs in the second to open the scoring.
Houston surged ahead 4-0 on Zach Dezenzo’s two-run home run in the fifth.
Chicago rallied for three runs against the Astros relief corps in the bottom of the inning. Making his White Sox debut, Josh Rojas drew a bases-loaded walk against Ryan Gusto before Sosa followed with a two-run single.
Robert Jr. played a key role in giving Chicago the lead in the sixth. He delivered a two-out RBI single against Steven Okert, then stole second base and scored the go-ahead run on Edgar Quero’s single.
Okert (1-1) took the loss, allowing two runs and two hits in one inning with a walk and a strikeout.
Wilson spaced four runs and nine hits in 4 2/3 innings with two walks and four strikeouts.
Dezenzo and Christian Walker had two hits each for the Astros.
