Kemp’s first start a doozy
Rookie makes big-time play in field, contributes a pair of hits in victory
CHICAGO — Tony Kemp actually made his major league debut Tuesday.
But his first start Wednesday night was no less special.
“You see the names of (Jose) Altuve and (Carlos) Correa … and it almost feels like you’re playing a video game out there,” Kemp said. “It doesn’t really feel real until they poured Gatorade on you.
“Then it feels pretty cold.”
Kemp was cold but smiling as he left his mark on a 5-3 victory over the Chicago White Sox at U.S. Cellular Field, giving the Astros consecutive wins and ensuring their first road series win.
They’ll go for the sweep Thursday against unbeaten Chris Sale (8-0).
Kemp and Jason Castro combined to reach base six times from the bottom two
spots in the order, not only producing but turning the lineup over to the hothitting Altuve. The results were an early lead that allowed Doug Fister to shake off a rough first inning and cruise into the seventh.
Altuve drove in Castro twice, both times following Kemp’s first two hits of big league career. The allstar second baseman also scored in the first on a Correa single.
In the second, Castro singled and went to third on a Kemp double. The rookie swung at the first pitch he saw from Mat Latos, driving a fastball the other way. Castro scored the go-ahead run on Altuve’s ground out.
“You kind of dream about that moment,” Kemp said of liner to left field. “As the team’s calling for the ball back in, it was a pretty special moment and something I’ll never forget.”
Castro walked and Kemp singled in the fourth, and Altuve followed with a single past a diving Todd Frazier at third to bring Castro around and put the Astros up 3-1.
Kemp, who added a walk in the eighth, even made an impression before picking up a bat, throwing out Adam Eaton trying to stretch a hit down the line in left into a double in the first inning.
That helped Fister, who allowed the first four White Sox to reach base, escape the first inning with only one run of damage. He retired the next nine batters, giving up a Melky Cabrera single in the fourth but leaving him at first by striking out Brett Lawrie.
“I was attacking the zone and they were definitely putting balls into play,” Fister said. “(It was) time to make an adjustment real quick on the fly and Jason was spot-on most of the night with everything. We were able to work well and obviously, we were able to use our defense — they got us out of a couple jams there.”
That included in the fifth when Dioner Navarro reached on an infield single and Eaton hit a twoout double. The Astros led 4-1, but Fister was staring at former National League MVP Jimmy Rollins with runners in scoring position. Rollins drove a 3-2 fastball to deep center, but Colby Rasmus, who homered in the top of the fifth, ran the ball down at the warning track to end the jam.
Castro made it 5-1 with a home run in the sixth, but the White Sox got one back in the bottom of the inning and another in the seventh after they finally chased Fister.
He left with a runner on, and Ken Giles, who allowed the inherited runner to score, escaped with no more trouble.
Will Harris pitched a perfect eighth inning for his 18th straight appearance without allowing a run, and closer Luke Gregerson, who had three blown save in his previous four chances, was perfect in the ninth.
“I feel like I’ve kind of run into a string of bad luck unfortunately and some things aren’t going my way, so it’s always nice to get back out there,” Gregerson said. “Especially when you feel like you’re throwing the ball well and not getting the results you want.”
Added Astros manager A.J. Hinch: “When you can draw it up and hand it to those guys, we’re going to be pretty good and we’re going to be in pretty good shape.”
All that was missing was Kemp’s celebratory bath, which followed and included Gatorade courtesy of Lance McCullers and gum from Michael Feliz.
“I’ll take that any day,” Kemp said. “It was a lot of fun and, more importantly, we got the win.”