Diminutive slugger helps White Sox stay alive

Chicago White Sox's Leury Garcia rounds the bases after hitting a three-run home run against the Houston Astros in the third inning during Game 3 of a baseball American League Division Series Sunday, Oct. 10, 2021, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)
Chicago White Sox's Leury Garcia rounds the bases after hitting a three-run home run against the Houston Astros in the third inning during Game 3 of a baseball American League Division Series Sunday, Oct. 10, 2021, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)

CHICAGO -- Two big swings by pint-sized Leury Garcia. A rule-testing run by Yasmani Grandal. Solid relief work from Liam Hendriks and company.

Right when the Chicago White Sox got in big trouble, they found a way.

Garcia and Grandal homered, and Grandal's borderline baserunning helped the White Sox top the Houston Astros 12-6 on Sunday night to stay alive in their AL division series.

Backed by a boisterous crowd of 40,288, the AL Central champions erased a 5-1 deficit in the franchise's first home playoff game in 13 years. Tim Anderson collected three more hits, and Ryan Tepera started a stellar finish for Chicago's bullpen after Dylan Cease and Michael Kopech struggled.

Houston was hoping to sweep its way into its fifth consecutive appearance in the AL Championship Series. The AL West champions got off to a fast start behind Kyle Tucker, but they failed to record a hit in the last five innings.

"I think we made a statement," Grandal said.

Game 4 of the best-of-five series is scheduled for today, but there is rain in the forecast.

The playoff-tested Astros rolled into Chicago after a pair of impressive victories at home, then jumped out to a 5-1 lead in Game 3. The sweet-swinging Tucker hit a two-run double off Cease in the second and a two-run homer off Kopech in the third.

Houston's fast start silenced the towel-waving crowd, but it got revved up again in the bottom half of the third.

After Grandal's two-run shot just over the wall in left made it 5-3, Yoan Moncada and Gavin Sheets reached on two-out singles. Leury García then looked at two balls from Luis Garcia before Astros manager Dusty Baker replaced his starting pitcher with Yimi García.

Once all the Garcías had been sorted out, the move backfired for the Astros. Leury García, listed at 5-foot-8 and 190 pounds, drove a 3-1 pitch from Yimi García deep to center for a 436-foot home run.

The game was tied at 6 when the White Sox went ahead to stay with three runs in the fourth -- highlighted by a memorable run by Grandal that rankled Baker and the Astros.

After Jose Abreu's tiebreaking RBI single put runners on the corners with none out, Grandal hit a bouncer to Yuli Gurriel at first. Gurriel tried to come home, but his throw went went off Grandal as the veteran catcher sprinted up the line in the infield grass.

Luis Robert scored, taking out umpire Tom Hallion in the process, and Gurriel was charged with an error. The Astros lobbied for an interference call on Grandal, but the umpires huddled and left the play in place.

Baker then had a long argument with Hallion before returning to the dugout.

"I start running and then all of a sudden he's throwing the ball right at me," Grandal said. "I didn't really think about what was going on at the plate."

Chicago White Sox's Yasmani Grandal reacts to hitting a solo home run against the Houston Astros in the third inning during Game 3 of a baseball American League Division Series Sunday, Oct. 10, 2021, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)
Chicago White Sox's Yasmani Grandal reacts to hitting a solo home run against the Houston Astros in the third inning during Game 3 of a baseball American League Division Series Sunday, Oct. 10, 2021, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)
Houston Astros' Kyle Tucker celebrates his two-run home run against the Chicago White Sox in the third inning during Game 3 of a baseball American League Division Series Sunday, Oct. 10, 2021, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)
Houston Astros' Kyle Tucker celebrates his two-run home run against the Chicago White Sox in the third inning during Game 3 of a baseball American League Division Series Sunday, Oct. 10, 2021, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)
Houston Astros' Kyle Tucker hits a two-run home run off Chicago White Sox pitcher Michael Kopech in the third inning during Game 3 of a baseball American League Division Series Sunday, Oct. 10, 2021, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)
Houston Astros' Kyle Tucker hits a two-run home run off Chicago White Sox pitcher Michael Kopech in the third inning during Game 3 of a baseball American League Division Series Sunday, Oct. 10, 2021, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Charles Rex Arbogast)
Chicago White Sox's Tim Anderson, left, scores on a Eloy Jimenez single as Houston Astros catcher Martin Maldonado waits for the throw in the first inning during Game 3 of a baseball American League Division Series Sunday, Oct. 10, 2021, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)
Chicago White Sox's Tim Anderson, left, scores on a Eloy Jimenez single as Houston Astros catcher Martin Maldonado waits for the throw in the first inning during Game 3 of a baseball American League Division Series Sunday, Oct. 10, 2021, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)
Houston Astros' Yordan Alvarez watches from the dugout against the Chicago White Sox in the eighth inning during Game 3 of a baseball American League Division Series Sunday, Oct. 10, 2021, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)
Houston Astros' Yordan Alvarez watches from the dugout against the Chicago White Sox in the eighth inning during Game 3 of a baseball American League Division Series Sunday, Oct. 10, 2021, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)

Upcoming Events