Astros turn to Clemens against White Sox
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Rookie right-hander Paul Clemens gets a return date in the Major Leagues on Tuesday night - and his first career start - when the Houston Astros visit the Chicago White Sox for game two of a three-game series at U.S. Cellular Field.
The 25-year-old has spent time with the Astros and in the minors at Triple-A Oklahoma City this season and gets the call here to replace veteran Erik Bedard in the team's six-man rotation.
He last pitched in the big leagues on July 26 in Toronto and was shellacked in one-third of an inning of relief, allowing six runs on four hits and a walk in a 12-6 Houston loss.
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Overall, Clemens has made 30 relief appearances and given up 35 runs in 46 2/3 innings of work - allowing opposition batters to hit him for a .277 average.
He was credited with a hold in a June 15 matchup with the White Sox in Houston after allowing one hit and striking out two batters. The Astros won the game, 4-3.
For the White Sox, lefty Jose Quintana can make it three wins in four decisions in August.
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The 24-year-old began the month with an 8-1 defeat of the New York Yankees at home on Aug. 5 and has since added a win at Minnesota on Aug. 16 and seven strong innings at Kansas City in a game the White Sox ultimately won, 4-3.
Chicago is 6-4 in Quintana's last 10 starts, in which he's allowed more than three runs just one time and has pitched at least six innings seven times.
He got a no-decision in a lone career meeting with Houston after allowing two runs on five hits in 4 2/3 innings.
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On Monday, Houston recovered after blowing a five-run lead, with Matt Dominguez and Chris Carter hitting back-to-back homers in the ninth inning to salvage a 10-8 victory.
The duo crossed the plate three times each, with Carter homering twice and knocking in four during a 3-for-4 performance at the plate.
Jordan Lyles came into a bases loaded situation during the last half of the ninth. He fell behind 3-0 to Avisail Garcia, but fired three straight strikes and got him looking to secure his first career save.
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David Martinez (1-0) relieved Houston starter Brett Oberholtzer and gave up three runs during Chicago's five-run fifth, but picked up the win with scoreless frames in the seventh and eighth.
Addison Reed (5-2) was hit with the loss. He got the first two outs in the top of the ninth before giving up both homers.
Alejandro De Aza went 4-for-5 with an RBI in the setback for the White Sox, who won eight of nine coming in.
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The Astros won three of four when the teams last played, from June 14-17, in Houston. The Astros entered this week with a 13-12 lead in the all-time regular-season series, though the White Sox won in 2005 when the teams met for the World Series.