Dylan Cease fails to get out of the 4th inning as the Chicago White Sox fall to the Houston Astros 10-2

HOUSTON — Dylan Cease didn’t make it out of the fourth inning Thursday, and the Houston Astros beat the Chicago White Sox 10-2 in front of 21,795 at Minute Maid Park.

Cease allowed seven runs (six earned) on four hits with four strikeouts and two walks in 3⅓ innings. He matched a season high in earned runs and a season low in innings.

An infield hit and a fielder’s choice/throwing error by third baseman Yoán Moncada preceded a Michael Brantley three-run home run in the first inning. Three batters in, the Astros led 3-0.

Cease retired the next nine batters before running into trouble in the fourth. He walked Yuli Gurriel and hit Yordan Alvarez with a pitch. Carlos Correa drove one over the head of right fielder Brian Goodwin that resulted in a run-scoring, ground-rule double, making it 4-0.

Abraham Toro followed with a two-run single. Cease left after a one-out walk. He was charged with a final run when Jose Altuve brought home Toro on a sacrifice fly against reliever Zack Burdi.

White Sox right fielder Brian Goodwin can't reach a ground-rule double by the Astros' Carlos Correa during the fourth inning Thursday in Houston. The Astros won 10-2.

White Sox right fielder Brian Goodwin can't reach a ground-rule double by the Astros' Carlos Correa during the fourth inning Thursday in Houston. The Astros won 10-2. (David J. Phillip/AP)

While the Astros showed why they have one of the top offense’s in the game, the Sox struggled to get much going at the plate. They had just one hit through five innings, a second-inning single by Yasmani Grandal against starter José Urquidy.

The Sox struck for two runs in the sixth with RBI singles from Adam Engel and José Abreu.

But Altuve hit a solo home run in the bottom of sixth and Toro added a two-run shot in the seventh, both off reliever Matt Foster.

The Sox were held to four hits and lost for just the second time in eight games.