The AL playoff picture is officially locked in for the divisional round, and man, did Wednesday night deliver some wild finishes. While the Boston Red Sox had their season cut short by the Yankees, a bunch of ex-Red Sox players were out there making big moves for other teams. But let’s be real, the biggest shocker of the night had to be the White Sox finally breaking a 20-year playoff drought with a decisive 7-3 victory over the Astros.
Chicago Drops The Hammer, Makes History
Talk about a statement game! The White Sox didn’t just win; they absolutely stomped the Astros 7-3, securing their first playoff advancement in over two decades. And how’d they do it? Heavy offense right from the jump. These guys led the league in first-inning runs this season, and they showed exactly why, hanging four runs on Hunter Brown before the first frame was even over. Andrew Benintendi got it rolling with a two-run knock, and then Tristan Peters followed up with an RBI. Houston tried to claw back, getting a lead-off homer from Jeremy Pena, and Sean Burke on the mound for Chicago had a weird outing, striking out eight but giving up three solo shots. But the absolute dagger for Houston, the one that put the game and the series completely out of reach? That came from Chase Meidroth, who belted a three-run shot that just killed all hope. Wild to think Meidroth was part of the Garrett Crochet return, and Crochet even got some playoff reps himself on Wednesday. Now, it’s off to Cleveland for Chicago, with their divisional series kicking off Saturday afternoon. What a turnaround!
Philly Fights Back In Extra Innings Thriller
Over in the NL, the Phillies and Braves gave us the only series to get tied up in Game 2, and it went down to the wire in dramatic fashion. We’re talking extra innings, folks, the only game of the postseason so far to stretch that far. Things looked pretty bleak for the Phillies when they coughed up two runs in the seventh. Christopher Sanchez was working, but Tyler Mahle for the Braves was just a hair better, allowing only one run through seven. But Mahle couldn’t pitch forever, right? Once he was pulled, Kyle Schwarber and Bryce Harper absolutely pounced in the eighth, hitting back-to-back homers that got Philly right back in it. Then, just to seal the deal, Alec Bohm launched a solo shot in the tenth off Didier Fuentes. What a comeback! Game 3 is set for tonight at 8:00 PM, and if it’s anything like Game 2, you don’t wanna miss it.
Padres Ride Boegarts To The Divisional Round
The Padres also punched their ticket to the divisional round, taking down the Cubs 4-1. Xander Boegarts was absolutely everywhere for San Diego, involved in both of their defining plays. He cracked an RBI single in the second inning, and then he was on base in the fourth when Gavin Sheets blew the game open with a two-run shot. That inning could’ve gotten even uglier for Chicago, but Pete Crow-Armstrong pulled off one last ridiculous leaping catch at the wall in 2026 to finally end it. After that, the game just kind of rolled on, pretty quiet, until the Padres officially moved on.
So, the postseason is heating up! The White Sox are looking to keep that momentum going against Cleveland, while the Phillies and Braves are locked in a true battle that could go either way tonight. Get ready, because these playoffs are already delivering some insane baseball!
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Over the Monster.
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