The White Sox (29-54) ended a three-game losing streak

Mired in the worst slump of his career Mario Addison Jersey , George Springer has been trying everything to break out of it.

His latest tactic came on Thursday night when he swiped reigning American League MVP Jose Altuve’s bat to use in the ninth inning.

The change worked, with Springer hitting an RBI single in Houston’s two-run rally that helped lift the Astros to a 4-3 win over the Chicago White Sox.

”My bat wasn’t seeming to work, so I figured I would try somebody else’s bat so I went with the hit king. I went with (No.) 27,” he said of Altuve, who has led the AL in hits the last four seasons and is in first place this year. ”It’s mine now, but it has his name on it.”

The Astros trailed by 1 when Joakim Soria (0-3) walked pinch-hitter Tony Kemp with no outs in the ninth before advancing to third on a single by pinch-hitter Marwin Gonzalez. Springer snapped an 0 for 8 slump and tied it at 3-3 with his RBI single to shallow center field. It was a much-needed hit for the World Series MVP who has been struggling lately, going 6 for 70 since June 15.

”I didn’t execute my pitches when I needed to,” Soria said.

Manager A.J. Hinch noted that Springer’s clutch hit was even more impressive considering the success Soria’s had against right-handers this season.

”Tough matchup for any right-handed hitter, especially if you’re carrying the weight of 65, 70 at-bats that players do when they go through what George has gone through,” Hinch said.

Alex Bregman walked to load the bases and Altuve struck out before Yuli Gurriel sent a ball over second baseman Yoan Moncada’s head into right field to start the celebration.

Altuve hit a two-run homer in the fifth inning to help Houston to the victory.

Justin Verlander bounced back from his last start where he allowed nine hits and five runs – both season highs – in a loss to Tampa Bay with a solid outing. He yielded four hits and two runs and struck out 10 in seven innings.

Joe Smith (3-1) allowed one hit in a scoreless ninth for the win in his first appearance since June 6.

Omar Narvaez homered with two hits and Leury Garcia’s solo shot in the eighth inning put the White Sox up 3-2.

The score was tied at 2-all with one out in the eighth when Garcia sent a fastball from Chris Devenski into the bullpen in right-center to put the White Sox on top.

Chicago trailed 2-0 when Narvaez got Chicago within one with his solo homer to right field off Verlander to lead off the sixth. Moncada singled with two outs in the inning and Chicago tied it up when Yolmer Sanchez doubled to left field.

White Sox starter Carlos Rodon allowed five hits and two runs while tying a career-high with six walks in six innings.

Gurriel was on third base with one out in the eighth inning, but got caught in a rundown before Tyler White struck out to end the inning.

Rodon worked around singles by White and Jake Marisnick in the second inning and a pair of walks in the third. Houston couldn’t get anything going on offense until Bregman doubled with one out in the fifth inning and Altuve followed with his eighth homer of the season to make it 2-0.

Chicago’s Avisail Garcia went 0 for 4 with a strikeout to end his career-high 14-game hitting streak, which was the longest active streak in the majors.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Astros: Manager A.J. Hinch said SS Carlos Correa (back stiffness) is unlikely to come off the disabled list before Monday and he wouldn’t speculate on Thursday about whether he’ll return before the All-Star break. ”I don’t know how the next 11 days are going to go,” Hinch said. ”I know he’s probably not going to play this series. We’ll get to Monday and ask me again.”

White Sox: SS Tim Anderson left the game with one out in the bottom of the eighth inning after being plunked on the left forearm by Devenski in the top of the frame. He looked to be in quite a bit of pain, but remained in the game and stole second base before leaving in the bottom of the inning. ”It’s always the next day, the after effects of a blow like that,” White Sox manager Rick Renteria said. ”We’ll re-evaluate him (Friday). He’s day-to-day until I know more.”

THEY SAID IT

Narvaez on homering off Verlander after going 0 for 5 in his career against the right-hander: ”I had three years facing him and I haven’t gotten any hits. It was kind of exciting.”

UP NEXT

Houston’s Lance McCullers (9-3, 3.55 ERA) opposes Chicago’s Reynaldo Lopez (4-5, 3.68) when the series continues on Friday night. McCullers allowed three hits in seven innings of a 1-0 win over Tampa Bay for his third straight win in his last start. Lopez yielded seven hits and two runs in 6 1/3 innings of a 10-5 win over Texas his last time out.

—


James Shields of the Chicago White Sox and the Cincinnati Reds play in opposite leagues and rarely see each other, yet they currently have much in common.

Now that they’re starting to make something out of what appeared to be a totally lost season, they’d like to keep it going.

The Reds got off to the worst start in baseball at 8-27, one so bad that getting to .500 looked to be as much of a challenge as winning a division title would be for most teams.

But when the Reds (36-48) take on the right-handed Shields and the White Sox on Monday night at Great American Ball Park, in the teams’ first matchup since 2015, they’ll be one of the majors’ hottest clubs. They’ve won 11 of 14 after taking the final two games of a four-game weekend series against the Milwaukee Brewers, and interim manager Jim Riggleman now has a 33-33 record for a last-place team.

Considering that Riggleman took over a Reds team that was 3-15 under former manager Bryan Price, that’s something of an accomplishment. And the Reds own a 6-1 record in interleague games.

“We know we can play with these teams that are in first place in their division,” Riggleman said.

They’re winning now in grand fashion, too. Jose Peraza hit the team’s major league-leading ninth grand slam Sunday in an 8-2 win over the Brewers Frans Nielsen Jersey Kids , their second in two games (pitcher Michael Lorenzen hit a pinch-grand slam Saturday) and sixth in 17 games. They’ve already tied a club season record.

“We’ve been getting better at-bats … and we’ve happened to have men on base,” Riggleman said.

Cincinnati starter Matt Harvey pitched 5 2/3 scoreless innings before being lifted after a rain delay, and the Reds dealt Brewers rookie Freddy Peralta (3-1), who gave up three runs in five innings, his first major league loss. Peralta allowed only one hit in seven shutout innings against the Kansas City Royals in his previous start.

“That’s probably the best I’ve felt since 2013,” said Harvey (4-5), who won his third straight start.

Shields (3-9), likewise, is beginning to see a ray of sunshine in what previously was a gloomy season. He’s coming off his best start of the year, pitching seven shutout innings and giving up four hits Wednesday in a 6-1 win over the Minnesota Twins. It was his 12th quality start of the season, or five more than he had all of last season.

Shields still isn’t the pitcher that won 13 or more games seven times from 2008 to 2015, but it hasn’t helped that he’s pitching for a team that’s off to the second worst start in franchise history. He has allowed a respectable six earned runs in his last four starts, and twice yielded one or no runs while lasting at least seven innings.

At age 36, Shields is making adjustments to compensate for his decreased velocity, yet has pitched at least six innings in 12 of his last 13 starts for a last-place team.

“My body’s feeling really good this year, and this is kind of what I’ve done my whole career,” Shields told reporters after the game against the Twins. “I strive to go as deep as I possibly can in games and so far it’s been good.

“I’m not throwing as hard as I used to. If I were to throw over the top, I’d still throw a little harder than I am right now. (But) at the end of the day, I’m feeling really good with my delivery right now, my mechanics. It’s been a lot of fun making these adjustments.”

Shields goes against Reds right-hander Luis Castillo (5-8), who was 1-3 with a 6.75 ERA in five June starts. He retired the first 11 batters he faced Wednesday at Atlanta, only to give up four quick runs on a walk and five consecutive singles, although the Reds came back to win 6-5.

Castillo is 0-1 in two starts against American League clubs this season, giving up eight runs in six innings. He has never faced the White Sox.

Shields is 18-18 with a 4.57 ERA in interleague play and 0-2 in two career starts against the Reds, the last of which was in 2015.

The White Sox (29-54) ended a three-game losing streak Sunday by salvaging the final game of a three-game series against the Texas Rangers, winning 10-5 as Avisail Garcia went 4-for-5 with a double and an RBI.

The Reds have won five consecutive interleague games but are facing the White Sox at Great American Ball Park for the first time since 2009. The White Sox are 16-4 overall against the Reds and 10-2 in Cincinnati, though that success there predated any of the current players.