Houston, TX (SportsNetwork.com) - Geovany Soto snapped a tie game with a two- run double in the 11th inning as the Chicago White Sox rallied for a 6-3 victory over the Houston Astros.
Adam LaRoche followed Soto's two-out hit off Tony Sipp with an RBI single, while Gordon Beckham knocked in two runs and knotted the score at 3-3 with a solo homer in the eighth inning.
White Sox rookie Carlos Rodon did not factor in the decision but turned in a solid start, allowing three runs -- one earned -- and issuing no walks over a season-high 6 1/3 innings.
Chris Carter went 2-for-4 with two RBI in the loss, the AL West-leading Astros' third in four games. Jose Altuve, Preston Tucker and Evan Gattis all finished with two hits and a run scored for Houston.
The Astros had grabbed a 3-2 lead by scoring twice in the sixth inning with the aid of a pair of Chicago errors, but Beckham crushed the first pitch he saw from Chad Qualls well over the wall in left-center to lead off the eighth.
Houston threatened in the 10th when White Sox reliever Zach Putnam issued back-to-back one-out walks to George Springer and Altuve, but Dan Jennings (1-1) stranded both runners in relief of Putnam and Chicago broke out an inning later.
Josh Fields (2-1) walked Carlos Sanchez with one out and Adam Eaton greeted Sipp with a single to put two aboard. After Sipp briefly bounced back to strike out Melky Cabrera, Soto drove a pitch off the right-field wall to break the deadlock and came around on LaRoche's hit to increase the lead to 6-3.
The Astros mustered just one hit off David Robertson in their half of the 11th as the Chicago closer notched his 10th save.
Rodon held Houston to one run through five innings before being let down by his defense, and possibly the replay officials as well.
An Altuve single and Tucker's double on a chopper over Jose Abreu's head at first base put two in scoring range for Carter, whose sinking liner to left was caught by Cabrera. Altuve beat the throw home, however, and Tucker took third as Cabrera's relay sailed to the backstop.
Luis Valbuena then hit a bouncer that Abreu snared and tossed high to Rodon for an error that enabled Tucker to come home for a 3-2 edge. Though replays appeared to show Rodon's right foot on the base prior to Valbuena reaching, the call was ruled inconclusive and stood after an unsuccessful challenge by Chicago manager Robin Ventura.
Astros starter Lance McCullers lasted just 4 1/3 innings and was on the ropes for much of his third major league start. The young righty escaped from a bases-loaded jam in the second and gave up a two-out double in the third to Alexei Ramirez, who scored the game's first run when Houston catcher Hank Conger threw wildly to first after McCullers had struck out Conor Gillaspie.
A passed ball from Chicago backstop Tyler Flowers helped the Astros pull even in the fourth, with the miscue putting Gattis in position for Carter to knock him in with a sharp single.
McCullers got into more trouble by walking LaRoche and Ramirez following an Abreu single to load the bases again in the fifth. Joe Thatcher then took over for the rookie and was greeted by Beckham's pinch-hit sac fly that put the White Sox back in front.
McCullers struck out a career-best seven while permitting two runs -- one earned -- and five hits.
Game Notes
Abreu exited the game in the eighth inning due to a right index finger injury, with Soto replacing him in the lineup. Abreu went 2-for-4 before departing ... The Astros entered the game 21-1 when leading after seven innings, while Chicago was just 2-22 when trailing through seven ... McCullers became the first Astros hurler to record five or more strikeouts in his first three major league appearances since J.R. Richard in 1971 ... Rodon had walked 15 in 16 innings over his first three starts.
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