The Chicago White Sox completed a two-game sweep of the Houston Astros in the American League wild-card series, ending Houston’s season despite a late surge that included three solo home runs. The series-clinching 7-3 victory on Wednesday saw the Astros' offense fall short after early pitching struggles put them in a deep hole.
Hunter Brown, Houston’s top starter, failed to get through the first inning, allowing five hits and a walk to the White Sox’s No. 9 hitter Colson Montgomery before manager Joe Espada pulled him out, echoing the bullpen collapse that cost Houston Game 1. The White Sox built a 4-0 lead early, forcing the Astros to rely on their power hitters to try to claw back.
Jeremy Peña, Cam Smith, and Jose Altuve each hit solo homers to bring Houston within one run quickly. Altuve’s homer, his 28th career postseason long ball, put the Astros at 4-3 in the fifth inning and reignited hope. The Astros had managed to stifle Chicago’s offense since the first inning and were threatening against the White Sox bullpen, having pushed starter Sean Burke’s pitch count to 72 through four innings.
When Huascar Brazobán replaced Burke to start the fifth, the Astros loaded the bases with runners on first and second and one out. Yordan Alvarez, the AL MVP favorite who led the majors with 42 home runs this season, stepped up with a chance to shift momentum. However, lefty Anthony Kay, brought in for Brazobán, struck out Alvarez by inducing a flyout to left fielder Sam Antonacci, effectively squashing Houston’s rally.
Isaac Paredes followed by drawing a walk to reload the bases, setting the stage for Altuve to potentially tie the game or take the lead. But Altuve flew out to right fielder Braden Montgomery, leaving the bases loaded and the Astros trailing by one.
The Astros’ reliance on their offense to overcome pitching issues has been a recurring theme all season. They ranked 24th in MLB with a 4.45 ERA but led the league with 226 home runs. Alvarez and Altuve have been the primary offensive weapons, with Alvarez playing a career-high 158 games and delivering consistently throughout the year. Still, their power hitting was not enough against the White Sox bullpen on Wednesday.
After that fifth-inning threat, Houston managed only one baserunner over the next four innings. The White Sox capitalised on Houston’s faltering offense in the sixth. With two runners on base, second baseman Chase Meidroth hit a three-run homer off Astros reliever Bryan Abreu, extending Chicago’s lead to 7-3. That score held until the final out, sealing the White Sox’s first postseason series win since 2005.
That 2005 title is the last time Chicago celebrated postseason success, a championship clinched against the Astros themselves. Now a new generation of White Sox players has advanced to the next round, ending Houston’s postseason hopes for 2026.
The loss also extended the Astros’ postseason woes at home, marking their ninth consecutive playoff defeat at Daikin Park, formerly Minute Maid Park. Their last home playoff win came in Game 1 of the 2023 ALDS against Minnesota. Since winning the 2022 World Series in Houston, the Astros have seen the Rangers, Tigers, and now the White Sox celebrate series victories on their home field.
The Astros’ decade-long run of postseason dominance appears to be drawing to a close after this sweep by the White Sox.
According to Yahoo Sports.
