Toronto Star
· collected 2026-10-01 · by Kristie Rieken The Associated Press
Chicago White Sox manager Will Venable expressed his team's ambition to advance further in the playoffs after they won their first series since 2005 by sweeping the Houston Astros in the AL Wild Card Series. The victory, secured with a 7-3 win on Thursday, marks an impressive turnaround for the franchise, which had lost over 100 games each of the last three seasons before making a 24-game improvement to clinch a wildcard spot this year. Owner Jerry Reinsdorf acknowledged the unexpected rapid rise, crediting general manager Chris Getz’s trades and the team's newfound belief and energy for their success.
Written locally by qwen2.5:14b on 2026-10-01,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Story summary
The Houston Astros and the Chicago White Sox, two unlikely playoff teams with remarkable turnaround stories, faced off in a best-of-three AL Wild Card Series starting on Tuesday in Houston. The Astros clinched their division title despite ending the regular season at exactly .500 (81-81), marking them as baseball’s first such division winner. In contrast, the White Sox overcame losing 100 games each of the last three seasons to secure a playoff spot.
In Game 1 on Tuesday, the White Sox took an early lead with four runs in the first inning and won 6-3 despite the Astros employing a bullpen game strategy led by AJ Blumbaugh. The announced attendance was sparse at 34,011, leading to fan frustration among the players who heard boos throughout the game.
The White Sox continued their strong performance on Wednesday, sweeping the series with a 7-3 victory in Game 2. This marked Chicago's first playoff series win since 2005 and advanced them to face the AL Central champion Cleveland Guardians in the Division Series starting Saturday in Cleveland.
Despite Houston’s playoff woes at home—dropping their ninth straight home playoff game—they expressed disappointment over fan support, with players like Bennett Sousa feeling that they needed more encouragement from their audience. Manager Will Venable of the White Sox praised his team for maintaining belief and achieving a historic turnaround to clinch this victory.
Written for “White Sox Playoff Run” on 2026-10-05,
grounded in this article and the 16 other(s) covering the same event.
HOUSTON (AP) — Chicago White Sox manager Will Venable was already looking ahead just minutes after his team won its first playoff series in 21 years by sweeping the Houston Astros in their AL Wild Card Series.
asserted
team → look → Series
“I can tell you right now that the group isn’t satisfied with this,” he said.
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he → tell → this
The White Sox used a big first inning and a three-run homer from Chase Meidroth to propel them to a 7-3 victory and series win.
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Sox → use → victory
It’s the first time Chicago has won a playoff series since beating Houston in the World Series in 2005.
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Chicago → ’ → 2005
Under the direction of Venable, the second-year skipper, and with a letter of support from Pope Leo XIV, the White Sox advanced to face AL Central champion Cleveland in the AL Division Series beginning Saturday in Cleveland.
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Sox → advance → Cleveland
They’re thrilled to give their fans in Chicago at least a couple of home playoff games after playing their first two postseason games on the road.
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They → ’re → road
“They have been incredible all year,” Meidroth said.
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Meidroth → say → ?
“So, the main thing was getting back to Chicago for some postseason baseball, and so we’re really blessed that we get to do that.”
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we → get → that
The White Sox, who lost 100 games in each of the last three seasons, are the only team in major league history to follow consecutive 100-loss seasons with a playoff berth.
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who → lose → berth
It’s an improbable and swift turnaround that most people — not even owner Jerry Reinsdorf — saw coming.
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people → ’ → ?
“I didn’t think it would come to fruition this fast, I really didn’t,” he told reporters postgame.
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he → think → reporters
“I really thought 2027 was the year that we would contend.
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we → think → ?
But nobody told the players that they couldn’t do it.”
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they → tell → it
The White Sox were expected to be the worst team in their division again this season but instead made a 24-game jump to go 84-78 and capture a wild-card playoff spot.
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Sox → expect → spot
Meidroth shared the important qualities that allowed them to defy expectations.
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them → share → expectations
“Belief, energy, those are the two things,” he said.
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he → say → ?
We got a young, hungry group, some veteran guys that we lean on.
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we → get → that
We believe we can win every game.”
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we → believe → game
Entering this season, it had been an awful stretch for the White Sox, who set the record for most losses since 1899 when they dropped 121 games in 2024.
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they → enter → 2024
It was a year that Reinsdorf reflected on as “depressing” on Wednesday night.
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Reinsdorf → reflect → night
He lauded the work general manager Chris Getz did to build a strong foundation for the team to grow.
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team → laud → foundation
And pointed to the blockbuster trade of left-hander Garrett Crochet to the Boston Red Sox after that dreadful season that netted them Meidroth, catcher Kyle Teel and outfielder Braden Montgomery as a turning point.
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that → point → point
Venable, the 43-year-old who is in his first managerial role, is glad to have helped bring the White Sox back to respectability after their years in baseball’s basement.
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who → help → basement
“I’m really proud and I’m really just happy for everybody who over the last few years had experienced White Sox baseball when it obviously wasn’t at its best,” he said.
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he → ’m → best
“And it’s such a storied franchise and Jerry puts so much into this team, loves this team so much, and to be able to reward him and the city of Chicago who have been in our corner and supported us from day one that I’ve been there
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I → ’ → day
, it just feels really good.”
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it → feel → ?
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