Chicago White Sox: Recapping their AL wild-card series victory

The Chicago White Sox are headed to the American League Division Series, thanks to their two-game sweep of the Astros in Houston.

The Sox won their first postseason series since they swept the Astros in the 2005 World Series for their first championship in 88 years. Up next: A best-of-five ALDS against the Cleveland Guardians, who won the AL Central by one game over the Sox for their third consecutive division crown and seventh in 11 years.

Here’s how the best-of-three Sox-Astros series unfolded.

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Game 1: White Sox 6, Astros 3

For the opening act, the White Sox and Astros began their American League wild-card series with openers on the mound.

Both bullpens got a workout during Game 1, which the Sox won 6-3 on Tuesday in front of 34,011 at Daikin Park. Read more here.

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Game 2: White Sox 7, Astros 3

For the second straight night, the White Sox started quickly, scoring four first-inning runs to put the pressure on the Astros from the jump.

After the Astros trimmed their deficit to one with single runs in the first, second and fourth innings, Chase Meidroth gave the Sox some breathing room with a three-run home run in the top of the sixth. Jordan Hicks and Erick Fedde sealed the deal with two shutout innings apiece for the win and a two-game sweep. Read more here.

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How we got here

No team had ever made the postseason after losing 100-plus games in each of the previous two seasons, let alone three.

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Until the 2026 White Sox, that is. The Sox completed a feat few saw coming, qualifying for the playoffs.

“We’ve been chasing this moment for a long time,” third baseman Miguel Vargas said. “It’s special for us, it’s special for the organization. It’s a special group of guys. It’s the most fun you can have.”

It’s an incredible turnaround for the Sox, who lost 101 games in 2023, a modern-day major-league-record 121 in 2024 and 102 last season. Read more here.

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