The Chicago White Sox defeated the Houston Astros 7-3 on Wednesday to sweep their American League Wild Card Series, securing their first playoff victory since 2005. Under second-year manager Will Venable and with support from Pope Leo XIV, Chicago advanced to face AL Central champion Cleveland in the AL Division Series. The White Sox, coming off three consecutive 100-loss seasons, became the only major league team to follow such a stretch with a playoff berth.
Houston, the AL West champion, finished 81-81 and became the first team to reach the postseason without a winning record. Astros ace Hunter Brown was lifted after two outs and committed two first-inning errors. Chase Meidroth delivered a three-run homer in the first inning, extending Chicago's lead.
Houston clawed back with solo homers from Jeremy Pena, Cam Smith, and Jose Altuve, but the White Sox answered with a seven-run first inning. Altuve's 28th postseason home run moved him into second place in MLB history. The Astros' sloppy defense and Hunter Brown's early exit contributed to their ninth straight home playoff loss.
Manager Joe Espada's contract expires at season's end after general manager Dana Brown was fired last month. Yordan Alvarez managed only a single with two strikeouts in eight at-bats across the series.
Source: ESPN MLB · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing