White Sox beat Astros 7-3, complete Wild Card sweep and advance to face Cleveland

The Chicago White Sox beat the Houston Astros 7-3 on Wednesday, September 30, completing a two-game sweep of their American League Wild Card Series. Chicago won Tuesday's opener 6-3 and now moves on to an AL Division Series against the Cleveland Guardians.

This was no late escape. The White Sox scored four runs in the first inning of Game 2, then held on when Houston pulled within one. They finished the best-of-three series without needing Thursday's scheduled Game 3.

Sam Antonacci scored on Kyle Teel's single to open Chicago's scoring. Andrew Benintendi followed with a single that brought home Teel and Miguel Vargas, with a Houston throwing error allowing Benintendi to take second. Tristan Peters drove him in for a 4-0 lead before the Astros batted.

An immediate four-run answer

Houston answered with solo homers by Jeremy Peña in the first, Cam Smith in the second and Jose Altuve in the fourth. That made it 4-3, a one-run game despite Chicago's fast start. The Astros had worked their way back, but they never drew level.

Chase Meidroth changed the shape of the finish in the sixth. His three-run home run brought in Luisangel Acuña and Peters and pushed Chicago's lead to 7-3. Neither team scored again.

Meidroth restores the cushion

The contrast across the two games is striking. Chicago had to protect a tighter lead to win the opener. In Game 2, its first-inning burst and Meidroth's later swing gave the pitching staff room to absorb three Houston solo shots without losing control of the series.

Cleveland is next. MLB's postseason bracket placed the winner of this Wild Card matchup opposite the Guardians in the ALDS. The White Sox's turnaround has now become a postseason series win, but the next round is a new test against the club that finished ahead of them in the AL Central.