The Astros have spent the last week trying to steady themselves, and Monday’s 6-3 win over the White Sox was a good place to start. Houston came home from a strong six-game trip through New York and opened a seven-game homestand with a result that kept it two games ahead of Texas in the AL West.
Now the task gets a little more interesting. Houston is in the middle of a homestand that also includes Arizona this weekend, and manager Joe Espada made it clear he wants the Astros to keep stacking wins.
"I expect us to come in here and take care of business," Astros manager Joe Espada said. "We played really well on the road in New York.
We have two very important series, two good teams coming in here. We've got to go out there and play well; that's the bottom line.
"We have to continue to prove ourselves on the field and continue to win series."
The pitching matchup Tuesday points to a pair of arms with some questions attached. Houston has not announced a starter, though right-hander Ronel Blanco is the likely choice after expected recall from Triple-A Sugar Land.
Blanco went 0-1 with a 7.71 ERA in 23 1/3 innings over five appearances, four of them starts, before losing his rotation spot in August. Against Chicago in his career, he is 0-1 with a 6.14 ERA in two games, including a rough outing in a 12-3 road loss on July 26, when he gave up five runs in 5 1/3 innings.
The Astros could also have another arm available soon. Right-hander Mike Burrows is eligible to come off the injured list after elbow trouble, and he has put together three rehab starts with Sugar Land, going 0-1 with a 2.03 ERA over 13 1/3 innings.
Chicago is sending Sean Burke to the mound, and he arrives with some uneven recent results. Burke, who is 7-6 with a 3.32 ERA, did not get a decision in Wednesday’s 10-4 home win over Texas after allowing two runs on two hits and a career-high eight walks in three innings. That was his fourth straight no-decision, and over his last seven starts he is 0-2 with a 3.68 ERA.
Burke has also had a tough time against Houston. In two career starts versus the Astros, he is 0-2 with an 8.38 ERA. His most recent matchup with them came on July 25, when he gave up three runs, two earned, in six innings of a 4-1 home loss.
The White Sox also added some veteran help Monday, acquiring Tommy Pham from the Phillies for cash considerations. Pham will join the club when rosters expand Tuesday.
Pham has bounced around quite a bit this season, spending most of it in the minors while playing for five teams and three organizations. This will be his second stint with Chicago, after he appeared in 70 games for the White Sox in 2024 and hit .266/.330/.380 with five home runs and 19 RBIs.
White Sox manager Will Venable said the right-handed hitter is expected to be used mostly against left-handed pitching.
"As you look at it broadly, our need for a right-handed bat versus left-handed pitching is something that we're really excited about," Venable said. "And then the human being, the teammate, the edge that he brings, who he is as a total player, I think he's going to make a big impact here."
Pham, 38, brings a long résumé with him: 1,250 major league games over 13 seasons, plus nine games in 2026 with the Mets. For a young White Sox group, the postseason part of that experience stands out most. He has 136 playoff plate appearances across five clubs and an .823 OPS in 37 postseason games.
"A ton of experience," Venable said. "He's been in every situation, and he understands what it means to be in meaningful games down the stretch.
He knows what it means to play playoff games. He understands what it means to just perform and exist in high-leverage situations.
"That's one of the many reasons I think it's going to be good for our young group to have another voice, another person who's experienced things that these guys can lean on."
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