Two Huge Innings Catapult White Sox Into ALDS
The fan bases with rooting interest in the White Sox-Astros Wild Card Series entered the postseason with differing perspectives on their teams’ relative talent and season quality. Chicagoans, though perhaps irked at how the division slipped away from them at the end of the season, were likely thrilled to be here after multiple consecutive 100-loss seasons. However, Houston fans, who have enjoyed a higher standard of living for the last decade, aren’t content with parallel parking into the top spot of a bad division, then bowing out in the Wild Card round. That was apparent during Houston’s Game 1 loss, which tasted sour enough to Astros fans that they let the kitchen know about it, and some of the players and manager Joe Espada acknowledged hearing it with varying levels of annoyance.
That set the tone for a mid-afternoon Game 2 at Daikin Park, in which the White Sox landed decisive blows in two big innings and sent Houston packing to win their first postseason series since they won the 2005 World Series. The Sox will now chart a Division Series course for Cleveland.
Within minutes of first pitch, this game looked as though it would be a blowout, as atypical changes to Houston’s lineup immediately backfired. Taylor Trammell, mired in a 1-for-32 slump, was replaced by infielder Nick Allen. That led to dominoes falling in such a way that usual DH and presumptive AL MVP, Yordan Alvarez, was tasked with playing the outfield for just the third time since the start of September. White Sox leadoff hitter Sam Antonacci tested Alvarez right away with a fly ball to the left-center gap. Alvarez’s route was too shallow, and the ball clanged off his glove as he tried to make an awkward play way up above his head. Antonacci was awarded a double and then scored on a Kyle Teel single. Houston’s first-inning gaffes continued as Allen, ordinarily a great defender but perhaps rusty from a lack of recent reps, booted a Miguel Vargas grounder. Two batters later, an Andrew Benintendi single was made worse when an errant throw by center fielder Lucas Spence allowed an extra run to score. First half hero Tristan Peters knocked an opposite-field single into left field to make it 4-0 within the blink of an eye.
Eric Longenhagen is from Catasauqua, PA and currently lives in Tempe, AZ. He spent four years working for the Phillies Triple-A affiliate, two with Baseball Info Solutions and two contributing to prospect coverage at ESPN.com. Previous work can also be found at Sports On Earth, CrashburnAlley and Prospect Insider.
Good write up, but Burke was definitely not an All-Star. Thinking of Shane Smith maybe?
Davis Martin was the All-Star this year, and already had a write-up here about how forgettable his name was.
Davis Martin was not an All Star either…
Forgot he was snubbed.
Apparently for “lack of name recognition”
Vargas, Murakami, and Peters were the White Sox All-Stars this year.
7/9 players in the White Sox’s lineup are rookies or second-year guys. Vargas is third-year, as is Burke, their best starter, who’ll likely be joined in the rotation next year by second-year Grant Taylor, rookie Hagen Smith, and maybe rookie Noah Schultz, I suppose.
And not to count chickens before they hatch, but their two best prospects (Caleb Bonemer & #1 overall Roch Cholowsky), should be ready sooner rather than later, if things go according to plan (which feels a lot more likely today than it would have, say two years ago). Tomorrow is promised to nobody, but the Sox’s future suddenly looks extremely bright. Chris Getz has done a masterful job.
remember around the draft when people were complaining that we had too many young middle infielders? good pick.
I remember being told I was delusional for thinking they’d be competitive by 2028, lol. What a fucking season.
Now I am happy to admit I’m an atheist, however if the White Sox manage to win this whole thing with support of the pope; it may have me questioning a few things…..
And think I speak for most fans here that what the White Sox are doing is just awesome.
I thought they were going to blow it, doing nothing after the first inning for a while and then trying to sneak Brazoban, Kay, and Fedde into a big game.
Happy to be wrong about the White Sox getting swept.
The penalty for the wild card should be bigger though. The rest is nice for Cleveland, but the White Sox get 2 days off, then an off day after game 1. By the time game 2 is played Monday, the White Sox will have played one game the previous 4 days and only 3 in the last week. Even if they need a bunch of BP innings Saturday, they should be able to get them and still be well rested for game 2.
Cleveland finished one game ahead of the White Sox, the reward of not having to play the first round is plenty for them.
Yeah, the reward for Cleveland is a 100% chance to advance past the ALWC.
Plus Home Field advantage.
Which isn’t actually a thing for Cleveland, but is huge for Chicago and Tampa.
It is MASSIVE for Tampa. It’s pretty big for Milwaukee, too. That atmosphere can be electric.
I’ve thought a gauntlet for the first round or two would be interesting. The 6 seed plays at the 5 for a one game wild card. The winner plays at the 4 seed for a best of 3. All series after are best of 7.
It feels poetic that Chase Meidroth, himself an undersized hero of prospects nerds, would deliver the final blow to knock out Altuve’s Astros.
The Astros did not hire a new GM during the summer, they fired their GM and haven’t replaced him yet
Pitching Abreu and Hader in game 1 down 4 late was amateurish. Impossible to know whether it contributed to Abreu giving up the 3 run home run, but that is the sort of thing that happens when you overwork the bullpen