The Chicago White Sox entered the postseason with plenty of questions about their youth and lack of experience. After Game 1 of the American League Wild Card Series, you wouldn’t have known which team was supposed to be the inexperienced one.
The White Sox took down the Astros 6-3 in Houston, in a game that was far more one-sided than the final score suggested. All season, Will Venable has stressed the importance of doing the little things right in order to find multiple ways to win ballgames. On Tuesday, that message was on full display as his White Sox team looked completely unfazed by the moment.
White Sox hitters displayed impressive discipline at the plate, refusing to press and consistently taking what Astros pitchers gave them. Eight different Chicago hitters recorded a hit, with Randal Grichuk, Braden Montgomery and Chase Meidroth each turning in multi-hit performances. That approach helped the White Sox outhit Houston 11-6 while drawing four walks.
Sam Antonacci and Hagen Smith immediately set the tone. Antonacci led off the game with a walk, hustled his way to third on a throwing error, then scampered home on a Murakami sacrifice fly to give the White Sox an early 1-0 lead.
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The White Sox kept their foot on the gas in the second inning, loading the bases after back-to-back singles from Braden Montgomery and Meidroth, followed by a hit-by-pitch for Colson Montgomery. Sam Antonacci then delivered the big blow, lining a single that brought both Meidroth and Braden Montgomery home to give Chicago a quick 3-0 advantage.
Both teams opted for a bullpen game to open the series, but despite having just 28 innings of MLB experience under his belt, rookie Hagen Smith looked anything but inexperienced. The 23-year-old carried himself like a seasoned veteran, giving the White Sox exactly what they needed to settle in.
Smith fired three scoreless innings, allowing just two hits while generating seven swings and misses, even though he recorded only one strikeout. In the process, he became the first pitcher in MLB history to throw at least 25 innings, allow five or fewer runs and average at least 12 strikeouts per nine innings through his first 19 career games, including the postseason.
One of Chicago’s biggest priorities entering the series was keeping Yordan Alvarez — one of baseball’s most complete hitters — in check. Smith did exactly that, getting Alvarez to ground out to second in the first inning before retiring him again with two outs and a runner on third to end the third.
Colson Montgomery then rewarded his young pitcher in the fourth inning, launching a towering 432-foot homer to center field on a fastball up and away, a pitch he has struggled to handle throughout the season.
The White Sox have leaned heavily on the long ball all season, ranking fifth in the MLB with 211 homers during the regular season. But Montgomery’s blast proved to be the only home run the White Sox would need on the night.
In the fifth inning, Murakami drew a leadoff walk before Tristan Peters and Braden Montgomery followed with back-to-back singles to load the bases. Chase Meidroth then delivered another big hit, lining an RBI single to stretch the White Sox lead.
After the Astros trimmed the deficit to 5-2, Chicago once again found a way to manufacture a crucial insurance run. Murakami and Randal Grichuk opened the seventh with back-to-back singles, and Peters followed with a perfectly placed bunt to move both runners into scoring position.
That small-ball play proved pivotal. Murakami came home on a wild pitch, giving the White Sox their final run of the night and extending their lead back to four.
But the White Sox bullpen ultimately stole the show. After becoming accustomed to navigating bullpen games throughout the season, Chicago’s relievers looked more than prepared for the moment. From the outset, it became clear the White Sox had the deeper and more reliable bullpen on Tuesday night.
Jordan Hicks followed Smith with 1.1 scoreless innings, David Sandlin added another 1.1 scoreless frames in his postseason debut, and Grant Taylor eventually slammed the door with a seven-out save. Sean Newcomb did surrender a two-run homer, and Taylor allowed another run in the eighth to cut the lead to 6-3, but Taylor’s power was on full display when the White Sox needed it most.
Facing Jose Altuve, who entered the night with 118 postseason hits to his name, Taylor found himself in a jam with runners on the corners and just one out standing between him and a clean escape. With the Astros threatening, the 24-year-old right-hander made the pitch he needed, inducing a ground ball to third. Miguel Vargas, however, was playing back and couldn’t get the throw to first in time, allowing a run to score on what was ruled a throwing error.
With his pitch count climbing, Taylor then faced Yainer Diaz with the tying run at the plate. Diaz had already taken Sean Newcomb deep earlier in the game, but Taylor wasn’t going to shy away from the moment. After working the count full, Taylor put his best pitch on the line, throwing an 84-mph curveball in the most critical moment of the game. The breaking ball snapped over the outside corner, freezing Diaz for a called third strike and ending the threat.
Taylor threw a career-high 54 pitches in that gutsy effort, racking up five strikeouts. He also got some crucial help from his catcher, Kyle Teel, who successfully overturned three called balls through ABS challenges, including two in the eighth inning during the most critical stretch of the game.
The White Sox entered October with questions about whether their youth could hold up against the Astros’ veteran experience. After Game 1, they have their answer — and with a win Tuesday, they can claim their first playoff series victory since 2005.
