Former Chicago White Sox catcher A.J. Pierzynski criticized the Houston Astros after Chicago swept the two-game American League Wild Card Series at Daikin Park. The White Sox won 6-3 on Tuesday and 7-3 on Wednesday, advancing to the AL Division Series for their first postseason series victory since the 2005 World Series.
The sweep came in Chicago’s first playoff appearance since 2021, adding another milestone to a season that defied recent history.
Foul Territory shared a clip Thursday on X, formerly Twitter, showing Pierzynski reacting to the series and contrasting Chicago’s composure with Houston’s performance.
The White Sox DOMINATED their way to the ALDS.@AJPierzynski12: "They look like the experienced team, and the Astros looked like they'd never been in the postseason." pic.twitter.com/n9WmnmmnHI
— Foul Territory (@FoulTerritoryTV) October 1, 2026
The White Sox backed up that assessment with decisive moments. In Game 2, Chicago scored four runs in the first inning against Hunter Brown, who failed to record three outs. Houston cut the deficit to 4-3 on solo homers from Jeremy Pena, Cam Smith, and Jose Altuve.
Article Continues BelowChase Meidroth broke the game open in the sixth, launching a three-run homer off Bryan Abreu to push the White Sox lead to 7-3. Chicago closed out the win from there and completed the sweep.
The result carried added weight for a franchise that had not won a playoff series in 21 years. The White Sox finished 84-78 after three straight 100-loss seasons, including a post-1900 record 121 losses in 2024. They also became the only team in MLB history to reach the playoffs after consecutive 100-loss seasons. Will Venable guided that turnaround in year two.
The Astros, meanwhile, finished 81-81 and captured their seventh AL West crown since 2017, reaching October for the ninth time in 10 seasons. The loss, however, extended Houston’s home postseason skid to nine games.
Chicago now moves on to face the Cleveland Guardians in a best-of-five ALDS. Game 1 is set for Saturday at Progressive Field, with Pierzynski’s comments underscoring how different the two clubs looked during the Wild Card round.