HOUSTON — Chase Meidroth hit a backbreaking three-run home run in the sixth inning to help the Chicago White Sox make a big early lead stand up in a 7-3 victory over the Houston Astros on Wednesday that capped a two-game sweep of their American League wild-card series.
The White Sox earned their first postseason series victory since their sweep of the Astros in the 2005 World Series. The White Sox will face the Cleveland Guardians in a best-of-five AL Division Series that begins Saturday in Cleveland.
“I’m really just happy for everybody over the last few years who experienced White Sox baseball when it obviously wasn’t at its best,” Chicago manager Will Venable said postgame. “It’s such a storied franchise. (White Sox owner) Jerry (Reinsdorf) put so much into this team, loves this team so much, and to be able to reward him and the city of Chicago, who have been in our corner and supported us from Day 1 that I’ve been there, just feels really good.
“I’m proud of the guys and certainly happy for them. They’re probably the only ones in this country that believed they could be in this spot, and they maintained that belief in the beginning of the season and went throughout the season maintaining that. They made it happen.”
The Astros returned to the playoffs after a one-year absence but have not advanced past the wild-card round since 2023.
“(Astros owner) Jim (Crane) has been very clear about his process and when he wants to have that conversation,” Houston manager Joe Espada, who finishes the season without an extension in place to stay with the Astros. “I respect the process and how blessed I’ve been to have been here for over nine years, experienced so many division titles, championship series, World Series – winning one as a bench coach. As a manager, I have witnessed so many great moments. Obviously, I would like to continue enjoying those moments.”
After the Astros left the bases loaded in the fifth, Meidroth extended a 4-3 lead by driving a 3-1 slider from Astros reliever Bryan Abreu 390 feet to left center.
The White Sox scored four runs in the top of the first inning off Astros ace Hunter Brown (0-1), who didn’t make it out of the first as he allowed five hits, four runs (three earned) and one walk while the defense contributed two errors.
Kyle Teel, Andrew Benintendi and Tristan Peters recorded RBI singles in the first while Miguel Vargas reached on a fielding error by Astros third baseman Nick Allen and scored on a throwing error by center fielder Lucas Spence. Brown retired two of the nine batters he faced.
The Astros began a methodical climb back into the game in the bottom of the first when leadoff man Jeremy Pena smacked the first of three solo home runs off Chicago starter Sean Burke.
Pena drilled a 1-1 slider 395 feet to left-center. An inning later, Cam Smith bashed a 1-0 sinker 440 feet to left to close the margin to 4-2. In the fourth, Jose Altuve socked his 28th career postseason homer — second all-time to Manny Ramirez — to left to bring Houston within 4-3.
Burke allowed three runs and four hits while recording eight strikeouts over four innings. When the Astros built another serious threat in the fifth, White Sox left-hander Anthony Kay delivered.
After reliever Huascar Brazoban hit Cam Smith with a pitch and gave up a single to Pena, Kay (1-0) entered with one out and retired MVP candidate Yordan Alvarez on a deep fly just in front of the Crawford Boxes in left. Kay loaded the bases by walking Isaac Paredes but induced Altuve into a harmless flyout to right to end the inning.
Peter Lambert, the Astros’ third pitcher of the game, needed only 36 pitches to work three perfect innings, but he walked Benintendi and Peters to open the sixth. After Abreu entered the game, Meidroth faked a bunt that enabled pinch runner Luisangel Acuna and Peters to steal third and second, respectively. With the infield in, Meidroth made it moot by crushing a hanging slider that he knew immediately was a home run.
–MK Bower, Field Level Media
