The Chicago White Sox waited 21 years for another postseason series victory. When it finally arrived, it came against the same franchise they swept the last time.
Chicago defeated the Houston Astros 7–3 on Wednesday, September 30, completing a two-game American League Wild Card sweep and advancing to the Division Series. It was the White Sox’s first playoff-series win since their 2005 World Series sweep of Houston, a full-circle result confirmed by Reuters, The Associated Press and MLB.
The clincher belonged to Chase Meidroth. His three-run homer in the sixth inning turned a fragile one-run lead into a four-run cushion, giving Chicago the separation it needed to close out Houston and move on.
Chicago struck before Houston could settle in
The White Sox built a four-run lead in the first inning, pressuring Astros starter Hunter Brown and taking advantage of Houston defensive mistakes. The early burst followed a similar script from Game 1, when Chicago jumped ahead and won 6–3.
Houston did not disappear quietly. Jeremy Peña, Cam Smith and Jose Altuve each hit solo home runs, trimming Chicago’s advantage to 4–3. Altuve’s homer was the 28th of his postseason career, leaving him one behind Manny Ramirez’s major-league record.
That was as close as the Astros came. With two runners aboard in the sixth, Meidroth drove a Bryan Abreu pitch over the wall for the defining swing of the series. Chicago’s bullpen protected the 7–3 lead, and Erick Fedde struck out Smith for the final out.
The 2005 connection made the sweep different
The White Sox had reached the playoffs since 2005, including an American League Division Series loss to Houston in 2021. But they had not won another postseason round.
Their previous series victory was one of the biggest moments in franchise history: a four-game sweep of the Astros in the 2005 World Series that delivered Chicago’s first championship in 88 years. Houston was still a National League club then.
Two decades later, the rematch arrived in a shorter best-of-three format and at Houston’s Daikin Park. Chicago won both games, outscoring the Astros 13–6 and never trailing in the series.
A quick celebration, then Cleveland
Manager Will Venable made clear that ending the drought was not the team’s final goal.
“I can tell you right now that the group isn’t satisfied with this,” Venable said after the clincher, according to AP.
The White Sox now face the Cleveland Guardians in a best-of-five Division Series beginning Saturday. Cleveland won the American League Central by one game, but Chicago won the season series 7–6, giving the matchup a familiar and unusually tight foundation.
Chicago’s path also changes the shape of the American League bracket. Houston, a near-constant October presence over the past decade, failed to advance beyond the Wild Card round. The Astros had won eight division titles in 10 seasons, but an 81–81 regular season and two home losses brought the run to an abrupt stop.
Why this White Sox team feels different
The sweep was not built around one established superstar. Chicago received contributions across the roster: Colson Montgomery homered in his postseason debut during Game 1, Meidroth delivered the clinching blow in Game 2, and a flexible bullpen covered crucial innings in both victories.
That balance matters in a short October series, where a single mistake or one swing can end a season. Chicago created early pressure, survived Houston’s response and found the decisive hit before the Astros could complete a comeback.
Twenty-one years after the White Sox swept Houston to win it all, they have swept Houston again. This time, the prize is not a championship—but it is the clearest sign yet that Chicago’s return to October may last longer than anyone expected.
