Somewhere in Houston, October has a thing for the White Sox.
It had been 7,644 days since Oct. 26, 2005, when Chicago celebrated a World Series championship deep in the heart of Texas.
Nearly 21 years later, the uniforms, names and expectations have changed, but the destination hasn’t.
Houston.
With a 7-3 victory Tuesday night, this generation of White Sox added its own chapter to October lore, clinching the series in the same city where the franchise last celebrated postseason glory.
And October has a way of finding unlikely heroes.
This time, it found Chase Meidroth.
Meidroth blasted a three-run home run off Astros reliever Bryan Abreu, delivering the swing that sent the Sox toward the next round.
But Chicago’s latest October celebration started long before Meidroth’s swing.
The White Sox never trailed during the two-game series, and just like Game 1, Sam Antonacci helped make sure of it.
Antonacci doubled to center before Kyle Teel singled him home, giving Chicago an early lead and once again forcing Houston to play from behind.
The Sox kept coming.
Chicago scored three more runs against Astros starter Hunter Brown, chasing him after four runs on five hits and putting Houston’s season in the hands of its bullpen.
That’s when Meidroth delivered.
His three-run shot off Abreu gave Chicago the breathing room it needed. From there, relievers Jordan Hicks and Erick Fedde took over, quieting the Astros’ bats and finishing off the AL Wild Card Series victory.
“It was another group effort,” manager Will Venable said after the game. “It’s just special. This team just goes out and executes. It’s just amazing.”
One celebration in Houston complete, the Sox now trade a familiar October setting for an even more familiar opponent.
Waiting in the AL Division Series are the AL Central champion Cleveland Guardians, a team Chicago knows plenty about after winning seven of their 13 meetings during the regular season.
Venable didn’t need many words to describe what comes next.
“We know them well,” Venable said.
But before looking ahead to Cleveland, there was still plenty to celebrate in Houston.
Starter Sean Burke entered Game 2 with a quote that quickly went viral and left little doubt about what taking the mound meant to him.
“This is my life,” Burke said before his Game 2 start. “No family, no girl, no kids. This is all I do.”
His outing wasn’t always clean, but Burke did enough to keep the Astros at bay until Chicago’s offense and bullpen could take over.
“It’s awesome,” Burke said during the postgame celebration. “You have to earn the trust of your teammates. It was not one of my better games, but my teammates picked me up.”
And amid the champagne, noise and celebration of the franchise’s first postseason series victory in nearly 21 years, Munetaka Murakami might have provided the most fitting assessment of the night.
“I’m drunk. I’m drunk,” Murakami said. “Yesterday, maybe hungover. No, not yesterday, tomorrow. Sorry, I don’t speak English.”
October baseball can be confusing.
Especially after champagne.
Game Notes
- The White Sox are in position to win their sixth playoff series in franchise history and first since sweeping the Astros in the 2005 World Series.
- Since the 12-team postseason format was introduced in 2022, the winner of Game 1 of the Wild Card Series has gone on to win the series 15 of 16 times.
- Sean Burke won his final three starts of the regular season, recording a 1.10 ERA (2 ER/16.1 IP) with 16 strikeouts.
- Rookie Sam Antonacci is batting .444/.531/.519 (12-27) with seven runs scored over his last seven games.
- Chase Meidroth has reached base safely in 17 straight games dating to 9/9, slashing .350/.412/.617 (21-60) with four doubles, four home runs, 13 RBI and 13 runs scored.
At The Plate
White Sox
- Sam Antonacci: 1-for-4, run
- Kyle Teel: 2-for-5, run, RBI
- Chase Meidroth: 2-for-3, HR, 3 RBI
Astros
- Jeremy Pena: 2-for-4, HR, RBI)
- Jose Altuve: 2-for-4, HR, RBI)
- Cam Smith: 1-for-3, HR, RBI
Next Game:
The Cleveland Guardians host the Chicago White Sox in Game 1 of the ALDS at 1 p.m. on Saturday at Progressive Field. TBS will broadcast the game.
ALDS Schedule
- Game 1: Saturday at Cleveland, 1 p.m.
- Game 2: Monday at Cleveland, 5 p.m.
- Game 3: Wednesday, Oct. 7 in Chicago, TBD
- Game 4: Thursday, Oct. 8 in Chicago (if necessary), TBD
- Game 5: Saturday, Oct. 10 at Cleveland (if necessary), TBD
Note: All games will be broadcast on TBS
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Featured Image: Chicago White Sox / X
