Houston @ Chicago preview
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Last Meeting ( Aug 18, 2024 ) Chi. White Sox 0, Houston 2
Chicago White Sox right-hander Jonathan Cannon stymied the Houston Astros last June, falling one out short of a shutout in only his fifth career start.
A refreshed Astros attack awaits Cannon on Friday as visiting Houston opens a three-game series against the White Sox.
Houston had a day off Thursday, and designated hitter Yordan Alvarez and catcher Yainer Diaz were among the regulars who rested in the Astros' most recent game, a 7-4 home loss to Detroit on Wednesday.
"Forty-eight hours (rest), huge," Astros manager Joe Espada said. "Specific players really will benefit from this when we get to that long stretch of games in June, July, when we usually step on the gas pedal a little bit."
The Astros hope to embark on a pre-summer surge as the calendar flips to May.
Victories in three of their past four series have put the club two games over .500, matching a season high.
Friday marks the beginning of a six-game road trip to Chicago and Milwaukee that figures to see left-hander Framber Valdez make a pair of starts. Valdez (1-3, 4.00 ERA) is set to get the call in the series opener against the White Sox on the heels of a tough-luck loss in Kansas City on Saturday.
He scattered two runs and three hits in eight innings for his eighth career complete game but the Astros struggled to muster support, losing 2-0.
"Valdez had a great start," Espada said. "Eight strong innings and a ton of strikes. He did a tremendous job for us."
The White Sox heaped their own praise upon center fielder Luis Robert Jr. after an 8-0 home victory against the Brewers on Thursday.
Robert contributed two hits and four RBIs and robbed the Brewers' Rhys Hoskins of a first-inning grand slam with a leaping catch as Chicago avoided a three-game sweep.
"I owe Luis something," said White Sox rookie right-hander Sean Burke, who shined over the first six innings of a combined two-hitter. "I don't know what I owe him. He's got a lot more money than I do, but I owe him something."
Miguel Vargas helped Chicago break things open with a three-run home run in the sixth inning that stretched his hitting streak to eight games. Vargas is hitting .448 (13-for-29) with six RBIs during the surge.
Chicago hasn't won a series opener since April 11 against Boston, which sparked the club to its lone series victory of 2025.
The White Sox, who have lost 13 of 17, hope to build momentum behind Cannon (1-3, 4.50 ERA), who earned his first win of the season on Saturday against the host Athletics. He spaced three runs and six hits in 7 2/3 innings with two walks and five strikeouts.
"Just throwing strikes, getting ahead, staying ahead is the key," he said.
Valdez opposed Cannon last June 18, taking the loss after allowing two runs and two hits in six innings with five walks and five strikeouts. That was Cannon's only meeting against the Astros, and he allowed seven hits and no runs while fanning four in 8 2/3 innings.
In eight career appearances vs. the White Sox, including seven starts, Valdez is 4-2 with a 2.49 ERA.
--Field Level Media