The Chicago White Sox turned Thursday into a clinching party, pounding the Kansas City Royals 9-1 and locking up at least one of the American League’s three wild-card spots. In doing so, they became the first club to go from back-to-back 100-loss seasons to the playoffs.
And they’re not done yet. Chicago still has a shot at the AL Central, entering the day a game behind the Cleveland Guardians.
The White Sox’s win also officially knocked Baltimore out of postseason contention. With three games left at home against the last-place Colorado Rockies, Chicago can still chase down the division while the Guardians finish their series in Boston on Thursday night before heading to Kansas City for three against the Royals.
Kyle Teel was everywhere for the White Sox, homering and reaching base five times. Five different Chicago hitters drove in runs, and David Sandlin handled the rest, giving up one run on five hits across six innings against the team that drafted him out of Oklahoma four years ago.
Kansas City never found its footing. Randy Dobnak was tagged for six runs, four earned, in a short outing that lasted just four batters, and he added two errors to the mess. Salvador Perez did provide one bright spot for the Royals with a home run, his 20th of the season and a club-record 10th time reaching that mark in a year.
Chicago set the tone immediately by taking advantage of Kansas City mistakes. Sam Antonacci singled to start the game, Teel reached when Dobnak’s throw on a bunt went wide of first base, and Miguel Vargas followed with an RBI single. Andrew Benintendi added a sacrifice fly, and after Vargas stole second, Tristan Peters drove him in with another single for a 3-0 lead.
The second inning only deepened the damage. Braden Montgomery singled to open it, Dobnak walked Antonacci, then threw to nobody covering first base for his second error of the game, allowing Montgomery to score easily from second. Dobnak later hit Teel with a pitch, and Vargas chipped in another RBI single as the White Sox kept piling on.
Chicago moved to 82-77, giving the club a record number of wins for a team coming off three straight 100-loss seasons. The White Sox have won four of their last five and head into the final weekend with their first playoff trip since 2021 secured.
They’ll close the regular season against Colorado, with right-hander Sean Burke (10-7, 3.40 ERA) set to start Friday night.
Kansas City opens its series with Cleveland on Friday night, with left-hander Noah Cameron (9-8, 3.92) getting the ball.
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Coopers path to that role started with a brief big league playing career before he moved into coaching, where his influence only grew. For White Sox fans, he was more than a coach on the bench or in the dugout; he was part of the teams identity for years, and his long run in Chicago left a lasting imprint on the pitchers he helped shape and the organization he served. [Read more 🡒]