Chicago lost 121 games in 2024. Now it has its first playoff-series win since 2005.
A two-game sweep of Houston gave Chicago its first postseason series victory since the 2005 World Series, just two seasons after its modern-era record 121-loss campaign.
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A sweep reopened an old chapter
The Chicago White Sox beat the Houston Astros 7–3 on Wednesday, completing a two-game American League Wild Card sweep in Houston and claiming their first playoff-series win since 2005. apnews +1
The milestone brings the story full circle: Chicago's 2005 World Series title came against Houston, and its last series win before this one was also a sweep of the Astros. mlb
Meidroth stopped Houston’s comeback
Chicago seized control with four runs in the first inning, knocking Astros starter Hunter Brown out after two outs. Houston chipped away with solo homers by Jeremy Peña, Cam Smith and José Altuve; Altuve’s fourth-inning shot made it 4–3. Houston then put the go-ahead run on base in the fifth, but reliever Anthony Kay escaped a bases-loaded jam by retiring Altuve on a flyout. apnews +1
The Sox had gone quiet after their opening burst. In the sixth, walks to Andrew Benintendi and Tristan Peters put two aboard, and Chase Meidroth drove Bryan Abreu’s pitch over the left-field wall for a three-run homer and a 7–3 lead. Chicago had also won Game 1, 6–3; the sweep came from early damage, a timely answer and enough pitching to keep Houston from taking the lead. apnews +1
The rebuild gets its first October series win
The result lands in the middle of an unusually fast turnaround. The White Sox finished 84–78, a 24-win improvement over 2025, after consecutive seasons with at least 100 losses. The 2024 collapse had set the modern major-league record at 121 losses. chicagotribune +1
Some of the rebuild’s bets showed up in the decisive inning: Meidroth came to Chicago in the December 2024 Garrett Crochet trade with Boston, alongside catcher Kyle Teel and outfielder Braden Montgomery. Their arrival was part of a broad roster reset, not a one-player fix. Chicago’s next test is already set: the White Sox travel to Cleveland for a best-of-five Division Series against the Guardians, beginning Saturday. chicagotribune +1