Hunter Brown pitches Astros past White Sox 4-1 for 5th straight win

By: Matt Carlson, The Associated Press Posted: 9:53 PM CDT Saturday, Jul. 25, 2026 Last Modified: 10:02 PM CDT Saturday, Jul. 25, 2026

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CHICAGO (AP) — Hunter Brown pitched seven shutout innings of two-hit ball and Isaac Paredes had three RBIs as the Houston Astros beat the Chicago White Sox 4-1 on Saturday night for their fifth straight victory.

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Jeremy Peña finished with three of Houston’s six hits and scored twice. He became the first Astros player with three consecutive three-hit games since Jose Altuve in April 2024.

Brown (2-1), making his seventh start after spending 11 weeks on the injured list with a right shoulder strain, allowed only two singles and improved to 5-0 with a 2.27 ERA in five career starts against the White Sox. He struck out seven and walked none in outpitching Chicago starter Sean Burke.

Houston Astros starter Hunter Brown delivers a pitch during the first inning of a baseball game against the Chicago White Sox in Chicago, Saturday, July 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Paul Beaty)

An All-Star last season, Brown retired 21 of the 23 hitters he faced — including his final 12. Three relievers finished, with Josh Hader getting two outs for his 12th save after Colson Montgomery singled home Chicago’s lone run in the ninth.

Paredes’ bases-loaded single off Burke in the sixth drove in the Astros’ first two runs. A third scored and Paredes reached third when the ball slid past rookie right fielder Braden Montgomery for an error and rolled to the wall.

Burke (7-5) permitted three runs, two earned, on four hits and a hit batter in six innings. The right-hander struck out 10 and set down the first 15 of 17 Houston batters in his seventh straight sharp outing.

Brown rebounded from a loss to Baltimore last Sunday when he yielded four runs in 4 2/3 innings, walked a career-high six and hit two batters with pitches. He was back in the form he flashed in two starts before going on the IL in April, and when he was 12-9 with a 2.43 ERA last season.

Both starters came out dealing, giving up two singles and no walks through the first five innings.

In the sixth, Burke plunked leadoff hitter Cam Smith with a pitch. Peña grounded his second single through the infield and Yordan Alvarez drew the first walk of the game to load the bases. Paredes’ single to right snapped the scoreless tie.