HOUSTON – The White Sox have been arguably the best story in baseball throughout the 2026 season. They might even be one of the year’s best stories in sports overall.
But with their 7-3 victory Wednesday at Daikin Park, knocking out an undermanned Astros squad in a two-game sweep of the American League Wild Card Series, the White Sox also proved they are a talented team to be reckoned with throughout the postseason. They are more than the young, energetic squad that shook off three straight 100-plus loss campaigns to reach the playoffs.
Their second locker room celebration in a week also stands as their first playoff series victory since 2005. That last win was a four-game sweep over the Astros in the World Series, also taking place at what is now known as Daikin Park in Houston.
It’s on to Cleveland and the AL Division Series for the White Sox, in the ongoing saga between these AL Central rivals. The White Sox won the season series, 7-6, but the Guardians won the division by one game to give them home-field advantage. The White Sox will see better starting pitching and one of the best closers in the game in Cade Smith, but then again, Cleveland will see a team that looked pretty unstoppable in the Wild Card Series.
For the second straight game, the White Sox took control in the first inning with the help of poor Houston defense. They scored four runs off Astros ace Hunter Brown, who had a 6-0 record with a 2.39 ERA over six career starts against the White Sox entering Wednesday.
Sam Antonacci doubled on a line drive to left field that Yordan Alvarez seemed to have a play on but didn’t make. Kyle Teel singled home Antonacci, and Miguel Vargas reached on third baseman Nick Allen’s fielding error. Andrew Benintendi singled home a second run, and when Lucas Spence made an ill-advised throw home and the ball got away from catcher Yainer Diaz, Vargas scored the third run. Tristan Peters then added an RBI single to cap the scoring in the opening frame.
Houston crept back with solo home runs from Jeremy Peña, Cam Smith and Jose Altuve off White Sox ace Sean Burke, who struck out eight over four innings. The Astros had a golden opportunity in the fifth inning, putting runners on first and second with one out and Alvarez at the plate with Anthony Kay on the mound for his first real relief appearance this season.
Kay fell behind 3-0, threw a pitch in the zone taken by Alvarez and then got him to fly out to Antonacci in left on the next pitch. Isaac Paredes walked to load the bases, but Altuve flied out to right to end the frame.
The White Sox answered with three runs in the top of the sixth on Chase Meidroth’s long home run and ensuing pronounced celebration and victory yell, putting to rest any comeback thoughts.