White Sox sweep Astros for first playoff series win since 2005

The Chicago White Sox beat the Houston Astros 7-3 on 30 September in Houston to sweep the AL Wild Card Series, the best-of-three opening round of baseball's playoffs. It is Chicago's first playoff series win since beating Houston in the 2005 World Series, according to The Guardian.

Chicago jumped fast in the clincher. The White Sox scored four runs in the first inning and never trailed. Second baseman Chase Meidroth hit a three-run homer to stretch the lead to 7-3.

The night before, Chicago took Game 1 by 6-3. Colson Montgomery hit a solo homer in that win, and Sam Antonacci drove in two runs. Meidroth added an RBI single in the fifth inning of Game 1.

The sweep caps a sharp turnaround. Chicago lost 100 games in each of the last three seasons. The club is the only team in Major League Baseball to follow back-to-back 100-loss seasons with a playoff berth.

Next is Cleveland. The White Sox advance to the AL Division Series, the best-of-five next round, which begins Saturday in Cleveland. Cleveland won the AL Central, its third straight division title after an 11-5 win over Kansas City to clinch.

Houston limped out. The Astros finished 81-81, the first team to reach the postseason without a winning record. They have now lost nine straight home playoff games and were swept at home in the wild-card round in consecutive postseasons after Detroit beat them twice in Houston in 2024.

Jose Altuve provided Houston's loudest moment with his 28th career postseason homer. That trails only Manny Ramirez, who holds the record with 29. Yordan Alvarez went quiet, with one hit and two strikeouts in eight at-bats in the two games.

What makes this stand out is the flip. One dugout went from three years of 100 losses to two road wins in two days. The other went from a decade as October regulars to back-to-back early exits at home.