By Salem Chicago News Staff
CHICAGO — The White Sox will face the Houston Astros in the AL Wild Card Series beginning Tuesday at Daikin Park in Houston, a rematch of their 2021 postseason clash.
Game 1 is set for 4 p.m. CT on NBC and Peacock. The best-of-three series became official Sunday after the Rangers lost to the Twins, clinching the AL West division for Houston. The Astros won their own game minutes later, beating the Athletics 9-0.
The White Sox closed the regular season with a 4-2 victory over the Rockies at Rate Field, finishing 84-78 under manager Will Venable.
“We just have to play our game against them,” White Sox starter Sean Burke said. “I don’t think there’s anything extra we need to do. We didn’t play our best baseball against them. Our opponent is our opponent. Our focus is playing our best brand of baseball. If we play our best baseball, it doesn’t matter who our opponent is.”
Houston went 5-2 against the White Sox during the regular season, winning two of three at Rate Field from July 24-26 and three of four in Houston from Aug. 31 to Sept. 3. The Astros won the AL West despite an 81-81 record, finishing one game ahead of the Rangers.
Designated hitter Andrew Benintendi has postseason experience at Minute Maid Park, now called Daikin Park.
“It’s a solid team,” Benintendi said. “I’ve played playoff games there before. It gets loud. It’s muggy and hot. A lot of people, so it’s going to be a fun atmosphere for sure.”
The two franchises last met in the postseason in 2021, when the Astros won the ALDS in four games. The White Sox hold a more favorable memory from 2005, when they swept Houston in the World Series.
The White Sox turnaround has been one of baseball’s feel-good stories. The franchise lost 121 games in 2024 and 102 in 2025 before surging to a playoff berth in 2026, becoming the first team to reach the postseason after consecutive 100-loss seasons.
“From the outside people might see pressure on us, but I’ve never felt like that once in the clubhouse,” Burke said. “We are in a really good spot heading into the postseason.”
With Burke, Davis Martin and Kay having pitched this weekend, right-hander Erick Fedde is expected to play a significant role in Game 1. The White Sox also could use an opener strategy.
“We’ll get together here as we make our way to Houston and talk about what we’re going to do with our pitching, our lineup,” Venable said. “But we’ll start talking about those things as we get more information.”
The Astros’ lineup features AL batting champion and MVP favorite Yordan Alvarez, along with veteran second baseman Jose Altuve and 2022 World Series MVP Jeremy Peña. The White Sox counter with rookie first baseman Munetaka Murakami, third baseman Miguel Vargas and shortstop Colson Montgomery.
Game 2 is scheduled for Wednesday at 4 p.m. CT, with a potential Game 3 on Thursday at a time to be determined.
Source: MLB.com — White Sox News
