3 numbers to know as Astros take command of series against White Sox

On Friday afternoon, the Houston Astros took command of their American League Division Series against the Chicago White Sox with a 9-4 win in Houston. Coupled with a victory on Thursday, Houston took both games at Minute Maid Park and will pack a 2-0 series lead with them as they hit the road for Chicago and Game 3 of the series on Sunday night.

The Chicago White Sox took an early 4-0 lead on Friday, but the Houston Astros scored nine unanswered runs, including five in a pivotal seventh inning, to crush any hopes the White Sox had of earning a split in the Lone Star State.

Here are 3 telling statistics about how the Houston Astros have taken command of the American League Division Series against the Chicago White Sox

Houston has limited the damage

When Chicago has made any kind of noise at the plate in the ALDS, Houston pitching has kept it to a minimum. The White Sox have 18 hits in the series, including 11 on Friday, yet none of the hits have gone for extra bases. According to MLBRandomStats, no other team in modern postseason history has ever tallied 15 or more hits in the first two games of a series without having an extra-base hit.

History on Houston’s side

Of the 87 MLB teams to grab a 2-0 lead in a best-of-five series, 77 have won the series. That’s an 89 percent success rate.

White Sox not built for the comeback

When the Astros jumped to a 5-4 lead on Friday in the fifth inning and maintained that lead through the next frame, it didn’t bode well for the White Sox.

So far this season, comebacks have not been a strength for the Southsiders. The White Sox are 4-48 in games where they are behind after the sixth inning, 3-47 with a seventh-inning deficit, and 2-55 when behind after the eighth inning.

Game 3 of the series is set for Sunday night at Guaranteed Rate Field, with first pitch slated for 8:07 p.m. (Eastern time). The game will be televised on FS1.