For the first time in 21 years, the Chicago White Sox won a playoff series, sweeping the Astros in a best-of-three American League wild-card series Tuesday and Wednesday in Houston.
Next up: the Guardians in a best-of-five AL Division Series beginning Saturday in Cleveland. The series is a 2-2-1 format, and all games will air on TBS, truTV and HBO Max.
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The Guardians won their third consecutive AL Central title and seventh in 11 years, clinching the division on the penultimate day of the regular season. They are the No. 2 seed in the AL and had a first-round bye.
The sixth-seeded Sox were the third AL wild-card entry won the season series against the Guardians 7-6, going 4-2 at Rate Field and 3-4 in Cleveland.
The young Sox were unfazed against the Astros, scoring first-inning runs in both games. They led 5-0 by the fifth inning in Game 1 on Tuesday and jumped ahead 4-0 on Wednesday before the Astros even batted. Colson Montgomery hit a solo home run in the opener, and Chase Meidroth belted a three-run blast in the sixth inning of the clincher that gave the Sox — who led by one — some breathing room.
The fact the Sox were in the playoffs for the first time since 2021 was an incredible feat considering the team lost more than 100 games each of the previous three seasons. They lost 101 games in 2023, a modern-day major-league-record 121 in 2024 and 102 last season. According to Stats Perform, only three teams previously made the playoffs the season after losing 100 games: the 2024 Royals, 2020 Miami Marlins and 2017 Minnesota Twins.
American League Division Series
No. 6 White Sox vs. No. 2 Guardians
Best of five; all games on TBS, truTV and HBO Max
- Game 1: noon Saturday in Cleveland
- Game 2: 4 p.m. Monday in Cleveland
- Game 3: 3 p.m. Wednesday at Rate Field
- *Game 4: 4 p.m. Thursday at Rate Field
- *Game 5: 4 p.m. Oct. 10 in Cleveland
* if necessary; start times for Games 4 and/or 5 would move to 7 p.m. CT if the other ALDS is over
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AL Championship Series
Oct. 11-20, best of seven, 2-3-2 format
World Series
Oct. 23-31, best of seven, 2-3-2 format
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