The Chicago White Sox had a seventh inning to forget.
Now they find themselves in a huge hole and facing elimination in the American League Division Series.
The Houston Astros scored five runs in the seventh and beat the Sox 9-4 in Game 2 of the ALDS in front of 41,315 on Friday at Minute Maid Park.
The Astros have a commanding 2-0 lead in the best-of-five series.
“We know what we have to do, we know we’ve got to take care of business,” Sox shortstop Tim Anderson said. “We’ve just got to keep fighting, keep pushing. We fell a little short today, but we competed. We competed at a high level. Things will get better. It’s good to head back home for sure.”
Game 3 is Sunday at Guaranteed Rate Field.
“It ain’t over,” Anderson said. “One thing about it is, it ain’t over. We’ve still got a shot. We’re going to compete and we know our backs are against the wall. We’ve just got to wake up and be ready to play.”
Friday’s game featured several momentum swings.
The Sox scored three runs in the top of the fifth to take a 4-2 lead, only for the Astros to tie the game with a two-run single by Yuli Gurriel against reliever Garrett Crochet in the bottom of the inning. Both runners who scored reached on walks by starter Lucas Giolito.
The right-hander allowed four runs on three hits with four strikeouts and five walks in 4? innings.
“I had a good idea it was probably my last inning, and we had just put up runs,” Giolito said. “I wanted to get the shutdown (inning).
“It’s a different environment here than what I’m used to. So I got some valuable experience today, just kind of reining it in and making sure the focus is to the target. We had too many wasted pitches.”
The score remained tied heading to the pivotal seventh.
The Sox were inches from taking the lead, but right fielder Kyle Tucker made a leaping catch to rob Yasmani Grandal of a possible two-run double. It was one of many standout defensive plays by the Astros.
“That was an outstanding play by Kyle because he took a great route to the ball,” Astros manager Dusty Baker said. “He timed it perfectly, and they might have been off to the races had he not made that catch.”
Yordan Alvarez put the Astros ahead in the bottom of the seventh with an RBI single to center against Aaron Bummer, the third hit the reliever allowed in the inning.
“They put the ball on the ground, which is what he pitches,” Sox manager Tony La Russa said. “They put the ball in play. You’ve got to give them credit.”
The Sox were an out away from limiting the damage, but Leury García couldn’t come up with Carlos Correa’s liner to right and two runs scored on the double against reliever Craig Kimbrel. The Sox had moved García from second to right in the seventh after César Hernández hit for Adam Engel.
“From my point of view, when I hit it, I thought it was going to be right at him,” Correa said. “The ball just took off. I’m just glad it dropped.”
Kyle Tucker followed with a two-run homer to left as a tense game turned into a blowout.
“We’ve got a big-inning team,” Baker said. “It doesn’t always work, but when it works, it works great.”
The Sox outhit the Astros 11-10 but went 2-for-11 with runners in scoring position. The Astros were 6-for-11 in those situations.
Anderson and Luis Robert both had three hits. Robert scored twice and had one RBI. José Abreu had two hits and one RBI.
Anderson set a major-league record with 13 hits in his first five postseason games. But like last season, when he had nine hits in three games against the Oakland Athletics, the Sox are staring down an early exit.
“We’ve got to win three games in a row,” Giolito said. “It wouldn’t be the first time that’s happened this year. Like (Anderson) said, we just keep battling.”
La Russa was reminded of something then-Boston Red Sox manager Terry Francona said when they trailed the New York Yankees 3-0 in the 2004 AL Championship Series.
” ‘All we have to do is win one game,’ ” La Russa recalled Francona saying. “When he said that, that’s a good thing to say. It makes sense. And they won four.”
The challenge ahead for the White Sox is win three in a row or go home.
“This is a must win,” La Russa said. “Take the attitude, the effort level, the talent we’ve got and Sunday find a way to win. Then you’re down one. And win another.
“So it could be done. I’d rather be in their position, but I know our club. We’ll pull together a winning effort. Hopefully the score reflects that.”
The Sox are eager to play in front of their fans.
“Ain’t nothing like being at home,” Anderson said.
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