A bullpen game blows up for Houston Astros in Game 1 loss to Chicago White Sox in AL wild-card opener
AJ Blubaugh and Bryan King allowed three runs in first two innings as Houston dropped opener to Chicago in best-of-three series.
In the first game of the American League Wild Card Series, the Houston Astros lost to the Chicago White Sox, 6-3. Both teams relied heavily on their bullpen, as neither could reset their rotation before the series began. The Astros used eight different pitchers, with five allowing at least one run. They trailed 3-0 after two innings and 5-0 in the fifth inning.
The White Sox, on the other hand, were 4-for-11 and left eight men on base. AJ Blubaugh, the rookie right-hander who led the majors in relief innings, opened for Houston, but he struggled early on, allowing a run and being pulled after two outs. Miguel Ullola, a rookie right-hander for Houston, came in and helped preserve the three-run deficit, allowing one run on Montgomery's home run in the fourth inning.
The White Sox bullpen compiled the majors' eighth-lowest ERA during the season, and their five pitchers combined to put the Astros in a precarious position.
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