Rodon great again, but Sox come up short against Astros
Each start for Carlos Rodon this season has been a proving ground, given the string of injuries and multiple surgeries the White Sox's left-hander has endured over the last four seasons.
Not only has Rodon been up to the challenge, he's already blown past even the most optimistic expectations.
"He's been just as dialed in as you guys see," said Zack Collins, who caught Rodon against the Astros Friday night. "Everything is working for him."
Coming into the game with a 6-2 record, 1.89 ERA, 97 strikeouts in 66⅔ innings and a no-hitter in his back pocket, Rodon went right after a Houston team that leads the major leagues in most major offensive categories.
He pitched well enough to win, but the Sox's offense was quiet after the first inning in a 2-1 loss.
Retiring the first 13 Astros hitter he faced, Rodon went 7 innings and allowed 1 run on 3 hits to go with 8 strikeouts.
"It's an impressive offense," Rodon said after throwing 106 pitches. "They swing the bat, they take pitches and make you work all night. It's a tough team to face offensively.
"I was just trying to attack. They made me work. I was pretty tired in the seventh and they said can you get me one more? And I said, yeah, let's do it. Luckily we got the groundball double play and the boys made the play."
Rodon escaped a big jam in his final inning, but he wasn't as fortunate in the fifth when he walked Martin Maldonado with the bases loaded. It could have been worse, but Rodon struck out the dangerous Jose Altuve to end the threat.
"Just lost it there for a second," Collins said. "It's nothing to worry about. I wasn't worried about it even in the middle of it. It happens sometimes and we locked him back in there with Altuve."
Houston won it in the ninth inning when Yuli Gurriel singled off Garrett Crochet with one out and scored on Yordan Alvarez's double.
The White Sox took the early lead on Jose Abreu's RBI single but that was it. While losing the first two games of the series, they've scored 3 runs.
"I don't think we are worried at all," Collins said. "Exactly what they did to us the last two nights is what we've been doing to people all year. It happens and I don't think anybody is pressing."
As if they aren't banged up enough already, left fielder Andrew Vaughn had to make an early exit with a facial contusion after getting hit by a bouncing throw from right field on a double in the sixth inning.