Meidroth’s three-run homer helps White Sox sweep Astros 7-3

Chase Meidroth’s three-run homer gave the White Sox breathing room, and five scoreless innings from their bullpen finished a 7-3 win over the Astros on Wednesday in Houston. Chicago swept the two-game AL Wild Card Series and earned its first postseason series victory since the 2005 World Series.

The White Sox will face Cleveland in the AL Division Series beginning Saturday, according to the Associated Press. Their route there required both a fast start against Hunter Brown and an escape when Houston threatened to erase that early advantage.

Chicago scored four times before Brown could finish the first inning. Sam Antonacci doubled and came home on Kyle Teel’s single. Miguel Vargas reached on Nick Allen’s error, then Andrew Benintendi singled in Teel. Lucas Spence’s throwing error allowed Vargas to score on the same play, and Tristan Peters added an RBI single.

Brown recorded only two outs. His final line included five hits, four runs and one walk in 36 pitches, with three of the runs earned. The Astros had put themselves in another early hole after losing Tuesday’s opener 6-3.

Houston’s response came entirely through solo home runs against Sean Burke. Jeremy Peña homered in the first inning, Cam Smith followed in the second, and Jose Altuve’s fourth-inning shot cut the deficit to 4-3. Burke struck out eight without a walk over four innings, but all three homers counted against him.

The fifth inning became the hinge of the game. With runners on first and second and one out, Anthony Kay faced Yordan Alvarez and got a flyout. Isaac Paredes then walked to load the bases. Kay retired Altuve on another fly ball, protecting the one-run lead before Chicago’s offense returned.

Benintendi walked to open the sixth, and Luisangel Acuña entered as a pinch runner. Peters followed with another walk. Meidroth met Bryan Abreu with a drive to left, scoring all three runners and making it 7-3. He finished 2-for-3 with three RBIs and a walk; Teel also collected two hits.

The relief work closed off Houston’s remaining chances. Huáscar Brazobán, Kay, Jordan Hicks and Erick Fedde combined to allow one hit and one walk across five shutout innings. Hicks and Fedde each worked two innings and struck out three. Kay received the win after handling the fifth-inning threat.

Fedde struck out Smith for the final out. The Astros finished with five hits, three of them homers, while Chicago had eight. Houston’s two first-inning errors helped create the initial deficit; Meidroth’s swing and the White Sox bullpen ensured there would be no deciding Game 3.