Sox reliever Albers trying to work through dog days

In April, Matt Albers was a self-proclaimed cat, as well as a very effective relief pitcher for the Chicago White Sox.

After making a standout defensive play fielding a Ezequiel Carrera bunt at Toronto on April 25 while extending his scoreless streak to a franchise-record 30 games, Albers bounced around in the Sox's dugout while yelling, "(Bleeping) like a cat!"

Lately, the right-handed reliever has been more like a dog.

In Tuesday night's 6-5 loss to the Astros in extra innings, Albers served up a 2-run homer to Evan Gattis in the 11th that decided the outcome.

It was Albers' third straight loss, and he's allowed 6 runs on 6 hits (2 home runs) in 2⅔ innings over his last 3 appearances.

"I've been in this game a while so I've definitely gone through struggles before," the 33-year-old Albers said. "You've just got to keep an even head. I've just kind of got to get over it, go back and look, 'Why did that happen?'"

When Albers was throwing 33 straight scoreless innings, a streak that started with the White Sox last August, his sinkerball was a lethal pitch. His sinker to Gattis stayed up in the strike zone and was hammered.

"I feel good and I know I'm throwing strikes," Albers said. "I just have to execute a little bit better and get the ball down. I think that's the main thing for a sinkerball guy, getting the ball down. So I think the main thing for me is just staying over the rubber a little bit and make sure you get the ball down."

Now in his 11th major-league season, Albers is not going to panic about a bumpy stretch.

"He's been through times where he's given up runs and he's been through a stretch where he hasn't given up any," manager Robin Ventura said. "Attitude-wise, he's still the same guy and we're all in this together. Everybody is picking each other up and we feel like we're still going to win games."

Upon further review:

There was a controversy in the White Sox's 6-5 loss to the Astros in extra innings Tuesday.

With one out and George Springer on first base, Albers struck out Houston's Carlos Correa swinging.

Springer was running on strike three, and Correa clearly appeared to interfere with catcher Alex Avila, who made a late throw to second base.

Home-plate umpire Tony Randazzo did not call Correa for interference, which would have resulted in Springer being ruled out.

"I just felt like he didn't hinder or impede (Avila's) throw to second base," Randazzo said Wednesday.

Avila disagreed.

"(Randazzo) said (Correa) ducked," Avila said. "(Correa) is 6-foot-4 and I'm 5-10, so there's still a difference there. He was in front of me. I couldn't step through it and tried to throw over him. Next time, if that happens again, I'll just throw it like I normally would."

Houston's next hitter, Evan Gattis, followed with a 2-run homer that decided the outcome.

"I just thought Alex had altered the way he was throwing, he had to go over the top of (Correa), and it doesn't matter if he swings or not, if it impedes his throw or makes him alter it, (Springer) should be out," manager Robin Ventura said. "That was my feeling on that."

Good to go:

Third baseman Todd Frazier was back in the lineup Wednesday after missing his first game of the season the night before with a stomach virus.

"I'm feeling a lot better," Frazier said. "A lot of fluids. My little son passed it along to me, so what are you going to do? It basically hit everybody in the family, and I think I'm the last one. It's kind of like a one-day thing, but I'm just getting my wits back together."