After losing the AL Central to Cleveland, the White Sox will open the Wild Card Series on the road with questions about who will start Game 1.
A frustrating night at the ballpark ended in a 9-6 loss for the Chicago White Sox on Saturday.
Davis Martin allowed three runs in the first inning, putting the White Sox behind early. A late home run from Colorado Rockies catcher Hunter Goodman was the final nail in the coffin.
Meanwhile, in Kansas City, the Cleveland Guardians won again. It’s all they do at this point. With that, Cleveland has officially clinched the AL Central title.
After leading the division for more than two months in the second half, the White Sox let it slip through their fingers in the final weeks. The Guardians will be the No. 2 seed in the American League and advance directly to the ALDS, while the White Sox are headed for the Wild Card Series beginning Tuesday.
Their opponent has not yet been determined. It will be the AL West champion, either the Houston Astros or Texas Rangers, depending on the outcome of Sunday’s games.
The White Sox will play the entire series on the road, likely during the daytime. The other American League Wild Card Series is between the Boston Red Sox and New York Yankees, a rivalry that figures to get the primetime television slots.
If there’s a positive, it’s that the White Sox won’t have to wait long to play. The short turnaround is a concern from a rest standpoint, but it could help them avoid getting rusty. Chicago’s bats have been alive recently, with players like Munetaka Murakami and Braden Montgomery showing improvement at the plate.
With only Monday off before the playoffs begin, the White Sox may be able to keep their offense hot.
The bigger concern is what the White Sox will do with their pitching. Sean Burke is unavailable for Game 1 after starting Friday night, and Anthony Kay is currently the probable starter for Sunday afternoon. I’m not sure Davis Martin is a reliable option, either, after he was pulled in the first inning Saturday while continuing to battle a calf injury.
A playoff run becomes much tougher via wild card. But in 2025 we saw the Detroit Tigers choke away the AL Central title to Cleveland before knocking the Guardians out of the playoffs.
There’s no doubt about it. This is a disappointing outcome for the White Sox, and it feels like a massive swing in their postseason odds.
Chicago will have to win some playoff games to guarantee itself October baseball and give its fans a playoff atmosphere at home.
