Astros and White Sox set for AL Wild Card Game with Hagen Smith and AJ Blubaugh on the mound
The Chicago White Sox took a 3-0 lead early in the wild-card matchup against the Houston Astros, whose starter AJ Blubaugh was pulled after less than one inning, while the Astros entered the postseason as the first division champion with a .500 record.
Chicago opened the American League wild-card series with a three-run advantage in the second inning, capitalizing on a bases-loaded situation created by Houston reliever Bryan King. White Sox leadoff hitter Sam Antonacci reached on an eight-pitch walk and later scored on a sacrifice fly, giving Chicago a 1-0 lead. King then loaded the bases again before being replaced by Miguel Ulloa, who retired the side on three consecutive outs.
Houston starter AJ Blubaugh struggled, issuing three walks and allowing an unearned run before being pulled after 2/3 of an inning. He threw 27 pitches, only 13 of which were strikes. The Astros brought in King, who managed to finish the inning without further damage.
The Astros entered the postseason as the AL West champions with an 81-81 record, the first team in MLB history to win a division without a winning record. Their season featured a strong performance from outfielder Yordan Alvarez and a pitching staff that posted a 3.87 ERA over 153 2/3 innings, led by Peter Lambert. The wild-card series pits the third-seeded Astros against the sixth-seeded White Sox, with the winner advancing to face the top seed in the division series.
Seeding in the American League places the Tampa Bay Rays (98-64) and Cleveland Guardians (85-77) as the top two seeds, earning them a first-round bye. The New York Yankees (93-68) secured the fourth seed as the top wild-card team, while the Boston Red Sox (87-75) occupy the fifth seed.