CHICAGO -- Even the Chicago White Sox relievers dont know who will get the ball in the ninth inning. Zach Putnam has had the last two chances, and made the most of them. Putnam earned his third save and second in two nights, striking out Jason Castro swinging to end the game with two on and give the White Sox a 4-3 victory over the Houston Astros on Saturday night. "Its interesting, and theres definitely an element of fun to it," Putnam said. "We dont know from game to game who is going to have that ninth if its a save opportunity." The White Sox have had no steady closer after Nate Jones and Matt Lindstrom were injured, and Ronald Belisario struggled in the role. They have been closing games by committee, and four relievers combined to throw three scoreless innings Saturday. White Sox manager Robin Ventura turned to Putnam to record the final out after Jake Petricka allowed a walk and infield hit in the ninth. "Unfortunately, I dont have a guy that youre just going to leave out there, saying thats your closer," Ventura said. "I like Puts swing-and-missability with some lefties, and thats the reason." Tyler Flowers had three hits and drove in the go-ahead run in the fifth for the White Sox, who have won two straight against the Astros to open the second half. George Springer hit his 20th home run, a solo shot, and Jose Altuve had a two-run double for the Astros. Flowers RBI double snapped a 3-all tie after Alejandro De Aza tripled. Flowers, who also drove in the go-ahead run with a double in the seventh of Fridays 3-2 victory, had his first three-hit game since April 24. "I dont know where he went over the break, but you can come back with renewed energy," Ventura said. "Catchings a tough thing to do. I think you dont find too many catchers that are going to hit all year long. Its a tough position, and people that do it are special. With him getting some rest, maybe it kind of gets him going in the right direction." Flowers is 6 for 9 in his last three games after going 10 for 112 in his previous 34. "I dont know if Im quite locked in yet," Flowers said. "Its good to put some quality at-bats together." White Sox starter Hector Noesi (4-7) gave up three runs in six innings and has lowered his ERA from 11.74 to 5.21 since joining the rotation. "Im getting prepared for the second half to be tough," Noesi said. "So, Im more aggressive when I go to the mound." Dallas Keuchel (9-6) allowed four runs and 12 hits in five innings. He was 7-2 with a 3.13 ERA in his previous 10 road starts. "When you look at the amount of trouble he was in, to minimize it to four runs -- and only three were earned -- he did a nice job of battling," Astros manager Bo Porter said. The White Sox went ahead 1-0 in the second after three singles and an error. Conor Gillaspie extended the lead to 2-0 with an RBI single in the third. Flowers was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded to bring in another run. Springers homer cut it to 3-1 in the fourth. He is one home run shy of tying Lance Berkmans club rookie home run record, set in 2000. Altuves double tied it at 3 in the fifth. The game featured three challenged calls and replay reviews totalling 5 minutes, 39 seconds. All were overturned. In the third, Gordon Beckham appeared to be hit by a pitch, loading the bases. The Astros challenged the call, and review confirmed Beckham was not hit. He returned to the plate and struck out. In the fourth, the White Soxs Alexei Ramirez was called out on a grounder to third, but replay confirmed he was safe at first. Later in the inning, Jose Abreu was called safe at second on a fielders choice. The Astros challenged the call, and Abreu was ruled out. NOTES: The White Sox optioned INF Carlos Sanchez to Triple-A Charlotte and will make a corresponding move on Sunday. .Abreu, who was leading the majors with 29 homers, is expected to play far more games than he did in Cuba, where he said teams play 96 games. He said he doesnt expect fatigue to be an issue. Ventura noted Abreu can sometimes DH to allow for rest. Shoes Black Friday Deals 2020 .J. - Pete Carroll is in support of the NFL looking further into whether medicinal marijuana could beneficial for players. Buy Shoes Black Friday . The defeat leaves the 41-year-old Nestor to concentrate on the mixed-doubles event after winning 12 straight matches and winning Australian titles in Brisbane and Sydney with two different partners. "This was a little bit of a let down, but all credit to them," said Nestor. https://www.cheapshoesblackfriday.com/. According to a report from ESPN, the veteran safety has signed another one-year deal with the team Raiders, the team that drafted him, and who he returned to last year after a long stint with the Green Bay Packers. Cheap Shoes Black Friday . The 24-year-old Pruneau played his CIS football with the Montreal Carabins. The six-foot, 200-pound Montreal native had 41 tackles, 3. Discount Shoes Black Friday . In Englands first game since its worst-ever World Cup showing, Roy Hodgsons side rarely looked like scoring against unambitious opposition and the breakthrough in the friendly only came when Raheem Sterling was tripped in the penalty area.PRETORIA, South Africa - Oscar Pistorius and Reeva Steenkamp argued fiercely in the turbulent weeks before he killed her, and the athletes girlfriend told him she was sometimes scared by his behaviour, which included jealous outbursts in front of other people, according to phone messages revealed at the Olympians murder trial on Monday. "Im scared of u sometimes and how u snap at me and of how u will react to me," Reeva Steenkamp texted Pistorius, in a message read out in court by police Capt. Francois Moller. In another message, Steenkamp wrote to the double-amputee runner: "I cant be attacked by outsiders for dating u AND be attacked by you, the one person I deserve protection from." The messages suggested both lovers were experiencing emotional insecurity, though the exchanges revealed in court reflected prosecutors efforts to portray Pistorius as an aggressor with a short fuse, matching earlier testimony from a former girlfriend who had said he sometimes shouted at her. In one message, the runner indicated Steenkamp had not told him the full story about smoking "weed," or using drugs, while she defended past conduct with the declaration: "I wasnt a stripper or a ho," a slang term for prostitute. The court adjourned with Moller expected to return to the witness box on Tuesday. He has not yet revealed if police recovered any phone messages or communications from the night of the killing on Feb. 14, 2013. Moller said that from Steenkamps phone he obtained more than 1,000 exchanges with Pistorius on WhatsApp and other phone messaging applications. Moller said he received as evidence two BlackBerry phones, two iPhones, two iPads and a Mac computer from Pistorius house the day after the shooting death of Steenkamp. The data on Steenkamps phone would print to more than 35,000 pages, said Moller. Of the fraction of exchanges between the couple, he said that about 90 per cent were what he called normal and "loving" exchanges. In Steenkamps message about being scared of the athlete, she also added: "You make me happy 90% of the time and I think we are amazing together." She goes on to talk about Pistorius snapping at her about chewing gum and talking in an accent, and then writes: "I just want to love and be loved. Be happy and make someone SO happy. Maybe we cant do that for each other. Cos right now I know u arent happpy and I am certainly very unhappy and sad.dddddddddddd" The long message was sent after the two attended a friends engagement party and apparently left early because she said he got upset and jealous. As Moller read the message, Pistorius, who had been looking at a book of the compiled messages, closed his eyes. Tears fell to his lap. He wiped his eyes with a handkerchief and regained the composure he held through most of the day. The runner apologized for his behaviour in replies to Steenkamps message, according to the testimony. Moller also read messages exchanged after a shooting incident at Tashas restaurant in Johannesburg about a month before the fatal shooting. Boxer Kevin Lerena and Darren Fresco, a onetime friend of Pistorius, testified that the Olympian asked Fresco to take the blame for a shot that went off after the loaded gun was passed to Pistorius under the table. In the phone message exchange, the 27-year-old runner explained to 29-year-old Steenkamp: "Angel, please dont say a thing to anyone ... the guys promised not to say a thing," he wrote. She then replied: "I have no idea what youre talking about ;)" Pistorius has pleaded not guilty to a firearms charge related to that episode. Earlier Monday a neighbour testified that she heard gunshots as well as screams from both a man and a woman on the night that Pistorius fatally shot Steenkamp. Anette Stipps testimony matched some evidence given by other witnesses who said they also heard a woman screaming around the time that Pistorius killed Steenkamp before dawn on Valentines Day last year. According to Pistorius, he thought Steenkamp was in bed when he fired his 9 mm pistol. He did not describe any woman screaming. The defence has countered that neighbours actually heard Pistorius screaming in a high-pitched voice after he shot Steenkamp. Pistorius has said he shot his girlfriend by mistake through a locked toilet door, thinking she was an intruder in his home. Stipp said she heard what she thought were gunshots on the night of the shooting, and then heard the "terrified, terrified" screams of a woman. Stipp recalled looking out from a balcony at two houses with lights on in the gated estate where her family and Pistorius lived. "There was definitely a female screaming for quite a period," Anette Stipp said. She said she also heard a mans voice. ' ' '
