White Sox sweep Astros for first playoff series win since 2005; Yankees, Padres advance

The Chicago White Sox defeated the Houston Astros 7-3 on Wednesday, September 30, to complete a 2-0 sweep of their American League Wild Card Series. It is the club's first postseason series victory since 2005. Three of Major League Baseball's four Wild Card Series ended in sweeps, with only the Philadelphia Phillies and Atlanta Braves needing a deciding game.

How the White Sox closed it out

Game 2 was played at Daikin Park in Houston, ESPN reported. The White Sox scored four runs off Astros starter Hunter Brown in the first inning to take a 4-0 lead, according to FOX 32 Chicago. Houston answered with three solo home runs across the first four innings to cut the deficit to 4-3.

In the fifth inning, manager Will Venable brought in left-hander Anthony Kay, who is primarily a starter, to face Yordan Álvarez with runners on base. ESPN described Álvarez as the AL MVP favorite. Kay retired Álvarez on a fly ball and also got Jose Altuve out to protect the one-run lead.

In the sixth, Luisangel Acuña and Tristan Peters pulled off a double steal, and second baseman Chase Meidroth then hit a three-run home run off reliever Bryan Abreu to make it 7-3. ESPN reported that Álvarez finished the series 1-for-8 and went hitless in Game 2.

The White Sox had won Game 1 on Tuesday 6-3. Their last playoff series win also came against Houston, in 2005. ESPN reported that the gap between series wins was the second-longest active drought in the majors, and that 90-year-old owner Jerry Reinsdorf watched the clinching game from the stands.

FOX 32 Chicago noted that Meidroth arrived in Chicago as part of the trade that sent Garrett Crochet to the Red Sox, and that the club's run follows three consecutive 100-loss seasons.

The rest of the Wild Card round

According to MLB.com, the New York Yankees beat the Boston Red Sox 9-0 in Game 1 and 9-2 in Game 2 to win their series 2-0. The San Diego Padres swept the Chicago Cubs, winning 8-0 and 4-1.

The National League series between the Phillies and the Braves is tied 1-1. Atlanta won Game 1 5-3, and Philadelphia won Game 2 4-3 in 10 innings. Game 3 is scheduled for Thursday, October 1, at 8 p.m., CBS Sports reported.

Division Series matchups

All four Division Series begin on October 3, according to MLB.com:

  • Chicago White Sox at Cleveland Guardians
  • New York Yankees at Tampa Bay Rays
  • San Diego Padres at Milwaukee Brewers
  • Phillies-Braves winner at Los Angeles Dodgers

MLB.com lists World Series Games 1 and 2 for October 23-24, with Games 6 and 7, if necessary, on October 30-31.

Why it matters

The White Sox sweep ends one of baseball's longest postseason droughts for a team that lost 100 or more games in three straight seasons not long ago. The Yankees and the Padres also moved on with two-game sweeps, and will be the visiting teams when their Division Series open on October 3. The last Division Series place will be decided in the Phillies-Braves Game 3, with the winner facing the Dodgers.

Sources

This article was drafted with AI assistance and checked against the sources above. Company claims are reported as claims. Cover image is AI-generated.