The most surprising thing about Thursday’s game wasn’t the final score. It was how quickly Luis Castillo ran out of gas as the White Sox starting pitcher. He lasted just four innings before the Houston Astros took total control, a result that feels like a mistake for a team trying to stay relevant in the standings.
Castillo hit Yordan Alvarez on the shoulder in the third inning, and the game changed right there. The score was tied, but runners were on first and second with one out when the pitch landed. That single moment opened the door for Houston to score big. CT Insider reports Isaac Paredes hit an RBI double off the left-field wall, giving the Astros the lead.
The Offense Explodes Early
Once the lead was established, the White Sox defense couldn’t stop the bleeding. A triple by Daulton Varsho drove in two runs, extending the lead to 5-2. Varsho’s hit scored two more runs with two outs in the inning. Before the game reached the middle innings, Christian Walker’s RBI single made it 6-2, sealing the deal. Jose Altuve also hit a two-run homer to lead the charge for Houston. These numbers show a team that didn’t just win, but dominated from the start.
Division Standings Shift
The result of this game changes the picture for the American League West. The Astros now hold a 2 1/2 game lead in the AL West over the second-place Rangers. Following a victory in three of four games against the AL Central leaders in this series, this happens. The White Sox lost the series, which means they’re falling further behind in a tight race. Every loss like this makes the path to the playoffs much harder.
Momentum shifted to Houston that night, not because of a single bad outing but due to a broader trend. The Astros have shown they can score runs early and often. The White Sox need to find a way to stop this kind of collapse. The team can’t afford to let their pitcher give up so many runs so quickly. The gap in the standings is growing, and the White Sox need to close it fast.
