White Sox top Astros in Game 1; first playoff win in 5 years

HOUSTON -- Colson Montgomery hit a solo homer and Sam Antonacci drove in two runs to lead the Chicago White Sox over the Houston Astros 6-3 in Game 1 of an AL Wild Card Series on Tuesday. The White Sox, in the postseason for the first time since 2021, made a remarkable turnaround this year to become the only team in major league history to follow consecutive 100-loss seasons with a playoff berth. They had lost 100 games three straight seasons, including 121 defeats in 2024, setting the record for most losses since 1899. The White Sox got a letter of support from Pope Leo XIV, a Chicago native, prior to the game and got to work immediately to show off for the pontiff. They led 3-0 after two innings and held on for their first playoff win since Oct. 10, 2021 in the ALDS against Houston. The AL West-winning Astros eked into the playoffs with an 81-81 record to become the first team to reach the postseason without a winning record. Houston lost its eighth straight home playoff game in its ninth trip to the postseason in the last 10 years. Game 2 in the best-of-three series is Wednesday in Houston. Houston had runners on first and third with two outs in the eighth after singles by Jeremy Pena and MVP-favorite Yordan Alvarez when Jose Altuve reached and Pena scored on an error by third baseman Miguel Vargas to cut the lead to 6-3. The Astros' tough day came in front of a surprisingly thin crowd. The announced attendance was 34,011 in a park with a capacity of 40,963. The home fans peppered the team with some boos when it fell behind early. Both teams went with a bullpen game and combined to use 13 pitchers. Chicago opened with rookie left-hander Hagen Smith, and he allowed two hits in three scoreless innings. Houston's rookie opener AJ Blubaugh gave up two walks, and an error by Christian Walker left runners on first and third with one out in the first. The White Sox took an early lead on a sacrifice fly by Murakami. Bryan King plunked Montgomery to load the bases with no outs in the second before Antonacci's single pushed the lead to 3-0. Montgomery, who manager Will Venable dropped to ninth in the order Tuesday, opened the fourth with a 432-foot homer to straightaway center field to make it 4-0. He hit 31 home runs in the regular season but also set the single-season record with 227 strikeouts. Chicago made it 5-0 on a bases-loaded RBI single by Chase Meidroth with one out in the fifth. Pinch-hitter Nelson Velazquez hit a two-run homer to cut the lead to 5-2 with two outs in the fifth. The White Sox tacked on another run on a wild pitch by Bennett Sousa in the seventh. Houston right-hander Hunter Brown (6-4, 3.19 ERA) will start Game 2. The White Sox haven't named a starter.