Chicago White Sox have a 6th inning to forget, allowing for 10 runs in a 13-3 loss to the Houston Astros-Orange County Register

The Chicago White Sox returned to Minute Maid Park for the first time since Game 2 of the 2021 American League Division Series.

Lucas Giolito started this game for the Sox. And he was on the hill on Friday.

It wasn’t Sox day then. And it certainly wasn’t Friday night.

It all came crashing down for the Sox in sixth place as the team gave up 10 runs in a 13-3 loss to 35,467.

“Once it escaped, it escaped,” said Sox manager Tony La Russa.

The Astros hit three home runs in the innings, including a grand slam by Michael Brantley against reliever Matt Foster. Yordan Alvarez hit a home run two runs ahead of Foster and Kyle Tucker hit a solo home run against Tanner Banks.

The Astros sent 14 to the plate to take control of the game.

“I went the leadoff batter and fell behind pretty much everyone I’ve faced,” Giolito said of the sixth. “Didn’t throw any pitches at all. It really is.

“At the end of the day, I just have to get better. That’s pretty goddamn. That’s pretty much it. The third time in the lineup I have to make my pitches.

Giolito allowed eight runs on seven hits with three strikeouts and three walks in more than five innings. He exited the tournament after facing five bats without recording an out in the sixth.

“I have to be able to use my pitches,” said Giolito. “But I put myself in a really bad position, walking the leadoff batter, losing the change and not throwing my best offspeed pitch for a bat puts me in a hole. Credit to them – they did not miss when I missed.”

The Sox played much of the game without third baseman Yoán Moncada, who left in the third inning with a right hamstring strain. He is being evaluated, the team said.

Moncada spoke to the coaching staff in the dugout after finishing shortstop Aledmys Díaz in the second inning. Moncada remained in the game bottom of the table. Josh Harrison replaced him in the third.

“At first we thought it might be a little crampy,” said La Russa. “They did the exercise Down Under and he had good strength. Something is barking, so I’m guessing it’s probably a hamstring.”

Moncada is posting .179/.230/.292 with three homers and 12 RBIs in 29 games. He began the season on the injured list with a right slant strain and played his first game on May 9. He was suffering from quad ailments that limited his playing time in late May.

Moncada hit a career-high five goals in Wednesday’s 13-0 win over the Detroit Tigers at Comerica Park. He went 5-on-6 with five RBIs and hit a three-run home run in the first, a single in the fourth, a double in the sixth, and RBI singles in the eighth and ninth.

“Excited to get him back in there,” La Russa said. “It gives our lineup a different, dangerous look.”

AJ Pollock provided the offensive spark for the Sox on Friday, hitting a three-run homer in the third to keep the game at 3.

It stayed that way until the sixth was unraveled for the Sox. Alex Bregman walked and walked right into third place on Alvarez’ single. Andrew Vaughn’s shot at the pocket went wide and Bregman hit, breaking the tie.

Tucker followed with an RBI double.

Giolito busted after allowing Díaz a single that loaded the bases with no outs.

“We worked on some mechanical adjustments ahead of time that I think were pretty effective,” said Giolito. “I felt my fastball was a lot better but still didn’t master the ball and lost my switch. Middle innings, generally working forward, using my offspeed stuff, sliders, changeup to get back in the count, not being predictable.

“(Catcher) Seby (Zavala) called the game really well. … It’s up to me to carry it out. I did a much better job in the middle innings. First few innings, home runs on bad pitches, missed pitches. And then the sixth inning was a whole lot of poor execution.”

Foster stepped in and handed an RBI single to Chas McCormick, but knocked out the next two.

Brantley hit the first pitch he saw over the right field wall, making it 10-3. Foster was eliminated after Alvarez’s double homer. Tucker greeted Banks with a solo homer.

It was a rough start to the series for the Sox, coming off a three-game sweep of the Tigers in Detroit.

“We played great in the Detroit series, a lot of momentum,” Giolito said. “Everything clicked well. It’s not good to go out there and do what I did, considering. It really is. There is obviously room for improvement.

“But I have faith in myself, so I have to keep grinding. I felt like the mechanical stuff (Friday) was a step in the right direction. When it comes to pitching and executing, I need to get better.”

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