Astros rally for nine runs to defeat White Sox 9-5

Decisive Sixth Inning

Houston Astros secured a 9-5 victory over the Chicago White Sox at Rate Field on Friday, July 24, 2026. The win was anchored by a massive offensive explosion in the sixth inning, where Houston scored eight runs to turn a deficit into a commanding lead.

Kai-Wei Teng earned the win for Houston, improving his record to 5-6, while Bryan Hudson took the loss for Chicago, dropping to 3-3.

Early White Sox Lead

The White Sox established an early advantage, taking a 5-0 lead into the sixth inning. Chicago scored in the first inning when C. Montgomery hit a sacrifice fly to center, allowing Antonacci to score. B. Montgomery followed with a single to right, bringing Murakami home, and Meidroth was hit by a pitch, driving in Vargas.

The White Sox added to their lead in the fifth inning. Benintendi scored on a wild pitch by Houston’s Kai-Wei Teng, and Meidroth later doubled to center, scoring B. Montgomery to make it 5-0.

Houston’s Comeback

The Astros began chipping away at the lead in the sixth inning. Wade Jr. singled to right, allowing Alvarez to score for the first run of the game. The inning opened wide when Walker doubled to left, driving in three runs to put Houston ahead 6-5.

Smith then homered to left, a 383-foot shot that added two more runs, extending the lead to 8-5. Altuve reached on an infield single, scoring Peña, and Wade Jr. walked to bring Alvarez home, making the score 9-5. The Astros added a final run in the ninth inning when Vázquez hit a ground rule double, scoring Trammell.

Pitching and Final Notes

Houston’s bullpen maintained the lead after Teng’s departure. Bennett Sousa, Bryan Abreu, and Steven Okert each recorded a save-worthy outing, combining for scoreless relief. Josh Hader closed the game with two strikeouts.

For Chicago, Davis Martin pitched five innings, allowing four earned runs on six hits before being pulled. Trevor Richards and Chris Murphy provided relief, with Murphy allowing one earned run in his inning of work.

The game drew an attendance of 28,657 spectators. With this result, the Chicago White Sox improved to 54-48 on the season. The Houston Astros fell to 51-54. There were exactly one home run in the game, hit by Smith. No other teams or players are mentioned regarding playoff standings or series outcomes.

Sources

https://www.espn.com/mlb/game/_/gameId/401816247