National Sports

White Sox advance, maybe with help from above

HOUSTON -- Chicago White Sox manager Will Venable was already looking ahead just minutes after his team won its first playoff series in 21 years by sweeping the Houston Astros in their AL Wild Card Series.

“I can tell you right now that the group isn’t satisfied with this,” he said.

The White Sox used a big first inning and a three-run homer from Chase Meidroth to propel them to a 7-3 victory and series win.

It’s the first time Chicago has won a playoff series since beating Houston in the World Series in 2005. Under the direction of Venable, the second-year skipper, and with a letter of support from Pope Leo XIV, the White Sox advanced to face AL Central champion Cleveland in the AL Division Series beginning Saturday in Cleveland.

They’re thrilled to give their fans in Chicago at least a couple of home playoff games after playing their first two postseason games on the road. Their first game at Rate Field will be Game 3 on Wednesday.

“They have been incredible all year,” Meidroth said. “So, the main thing was getting back to Chicago for some postseason baseball, and so we’re really blessed that we get to do that.”

The White Sox, who lost 100 games in each of the last three seasons, are the only team in major league history to follow consecutive 100-loss seasons with a playoff berth.

It’s an improbable and swift turnaround that most people -- not even owner Jerry Reinsdorf -- saw coming.

“I didn’t think it would come to fruition this fast, I really didn’t,” he told reporters postgame. “I really thought 2027 was the year that we would contend. But nobody told the players that they couldn’t do it.”

The White Sox were expected to be the worst team in their division again this season but instead made a 24-game jump to go 84-78 and capture a wild-card playoff spot.

Meidroth shared the important qualities that allowed them to defy expectations.

“Belief, energy, those are the two things,” he said. “Confidence. We got a young, hungry group, some veteran guys that we lean on. But, yeah, it’s been the same all year. We believe we can win every game.”

Entering this season, it had been an awful stretch for the White Sox, who set the record for most losses since 1899 when they dropped 121 games in 2024. It was a year that Reinsdorf reflected on as “depressing” on Wednesday night.