It took 21 years, but the Chicago White Sox are back where they haven’t been since the glory days: winning a postseason series.
Wednesday’s 7-3 victory in Houston completed a two-game sweep of the Astros in the AL Wild Card Series, giving Chicago its first postseason series win since the 2005 World Series. That’s the same title run that still stands as the White Sox’s last championship and, fittingly, also came against Houston.
For a franchise that followed that 2005 high with some very rough years, the turnaround is hard to miss. Just one season ago, the White Sox lost 102 games.
Two seasons ago, they lost 121. Now they’ve used a breakout year to knock out one of baseball’s familiar October teams and finally advance in the bracket again.
The last time the White Sox celebrated a postseason series win, they were wrapping up a title. After winning 99 games in 2005, Chicago rolled through the Red Sox in the ALDS and the Angels in the ALCS before taking care of the Astros with ease.
Jermaine Dye, Paul Konerko and Joe Crede powered the offense, while Mark Buehrle and Jose Contreras handled the pitching. The White Sox clinched the championship in Game 4 with a 1-0 win.
Since then, the postseason trips have been rare. Chicago didn’t get back until 2008, when an 89-win season ended with an ALDS loss to the Rays. That was followed by a 12-year drought before the shortened 2020 season finally put the White Sox back in October after a 35-25 finish over 60 games.
They returned again in 2021, this time with 93 wins, but the Astros knocked them out in the ALDS. After that, the White Sox dropped back to the bottom of the standings until this year’s breakthrough.
Now, after two decades of waiting, the White Sox have another postseason series win to their name.
In Other News...
Astros Front Office Faces Heat Over Trade That Solved Nothing
The Astros pitching depth came under a harsh spotlight in October, and the frustration stretches back to a midseason deal that was supposed to help stabilize the staff. Outside of Hunter Brown and Josh Hader, Houston never really found enough reliable arms, and the Wild Card Series only amplified how thin the margin was. Right-hander Mike Burrows, acquired in a three-team trade with the Rays and Pirates, was knocked off course quickly after struggling enough to get sent to Triple-A in midseason.
Houston paid a real prospect price for the move, sending Jacob Melton and Anderson Brito into the deal, but the return never materialized on the big-league roster. The Pirates, meanwhile, got meaningful production from Brandon Lowe, Jake Magnum and Mason Montgomery, which only sharpens the sting for an Astros front office trying to explain how a trade designed to solve a problem left the team looking no better equipped when the season mattered most. [Read more 🡒]
White Sox Just Helped Push The Astros Into An Uncomfortable Offseason
The Astros still managed to win the AL West and reach the postseason, but the way this year unfolded left little doubt that the standard in Houston needs to be reset. A below-average season on both offense and defense was never going to sit comfortably with a club that has spent so much time at the top of the division, and the playoff exit only sharpened the sense that the group is staring at an important winter.
Jose Altuve wasted no time sounding like someone who understands what is coming next, saying he is determined to improve and come back stronger. That kind of message fits the moment for a team that may be headed toward real offseason changes, because the Astros can point to the division title, but they cannot ignore how shaky things looked once the games tightened up. [Read more 🡒]
Yordan Alvarez Made An MVP Statement Astros Fans Will Love
Yordan Alvarezs latest season has given Astros fans plenty to feel good about, even in a year when the MVP conversation has been crowded with high-profile names. The discussion has centered on four finalists in the broader sense of the race, with Alvarez going up against Pete Alonso, Junior Caminero and Bobby Witt as the numbers are sorted through from every angle, not just the familiar home run and RBI totals.
What makes Alvarez stand out is the full profile behind the production. The deeper metrics point to him as the most complete offensive force in the group, with his run creation, on-base impact and overall quality of contact separating him from the rest of the field. The only real wrinkle is the same one that often follows a great regular season: some voters may be tempted to look past him if the playoff stage does not fit into the equation. [Read more 🡒]