HOUSTON — The Chicago White Sox completed a sweep of the Houston Astros in the American League wild-card series with a 7-3 victory on September 30, marking their first postseason series win since the 2005 World Series. The White Sox will now face the Cleveland Guardians in the AL division series, beginning October 3.
Chicago seized control early, scoring four runs in the first inning and never relinquishing the lead. Sam Antonacci’s leadoff double narrowly evaded a catch by Astros star Yordan Alvarez, setting the tone for the White Sox’s aggressive start. White Sox manager Will Venable praised his team’s fearless approach, saying the first inning exemplified their mindset throughout the game.
The Astros mounted a late surge with solo home runs from Jeremy Peña, Cam Smith, and Jose Altuve, narrowing the deficit to one run. However, Houston failed to capitalize on key opportunities, including a critical moments in the fifth inning when White Sox pitcher Anthony Kay retired Alvarez, the American League batting title holder, with two runners on base and one out. Kay then induced a flyout from Altuve to leave the bases loaded and maintain Chicago’s advantage.
Alvarez struggled throughout the series against the White Sox, finishing 1-for-8 and failing to hit a home run. During the regular season, he had a .200 average without homers in 29 plate appearances versus Chicago. Venable noted that although his team was prepared to intentionally walk Alvarez in certain situations, those chances did not materialize.
Chase Meidroth contributed a decisive three-run homer in the sixth inning that effectively sealed the win for Chicago. Meidroth credited the team’s success to belief, energy, and confidence, highlighting the blend of youth and veteran leadership that has driven the White Sox’s resurgence.
The victory was particularly meaningful given the White Sox’s struggles in recent seasons. The team endured four straight years with records below .500 and consecutive seasons with over 100 losses before turning their fortunes around this year. Venable, in his second year as manager, expressed pride in the team’s progress, noting how the organization and its fans have grown alongside the players.
Only one player in Wednesday’s lineup, designated hitter Andrew Benintendi, brought prior postseason experience, having played in the playoffs with the Boston Red Sox between 2016 and 2018. Now in his fourth season with Chicago, Benintendi pointed to the club’s strong finish in the second half of last season as the foundation for its current run and emphasized the team’s camaraderie as a driving force behind their success.
“We’re just a bunch of idiots that enjoy hanging out and getting after it together,” Benintendi said, reflecting the spirit that carried the White Sox through their breakthrough postseason performance.