The Chicago White Sox took Game 1 of the American League Wild Card Series with a 6-3 victory over the Houston Astros at Daikin Park. Sam Antonacci was a key figure in the early success for Chicago by drawing a walk and scoring on a sacrifice fly from Munetaka Murakami to start the game. Antonacci later drove in two runs with a bases-loaded single to left field.
Chicago took a 1-0 lead in the best-of-three series behind Sam Antonacci’s two RBIs and Colson Montgomery’s 432-foot home run.
He was also hit by a pitch and was later replaced defensively in the eighth inning after five plate appearances.
Colson Montgomery provided another offensive boost with a fourth-inning home run that gave Chicago a 4-0 lead. The Astros’ opener AJ Blubaugh struggled early and walked three of the first five batters he faced before being replaced by Bryan King. King struck out Tristan Peters to end the first inning but allowed two singles and hit Montgomery in the second to load the bases for the White Sox.
Antonacci delivered a two-run single to push the lead to 3-0. The White Sox continued their offensive push in the fifth with Murakami walking and scoring on a bases-loaded single from Chase Meidroth. Houston tried to mount a comeback in the fifth when Nelson Velázquez hit a two-run homer off Chicago left-hander Sean Newcomb.
Murakami scored on a wild pitch in the seventh to give Chicago a 6-2 lead before the Astros scored an unearned run in the eighth. White Sox starter Hagen Smith pitched three scoreless innings while allowing two hits and striking out two. Jordan Hicks earned four outs before Sean Newcomb and David Sandlin helped bridge the game to Grant Taylor.
Taylor recorded the final seven outs while allowing one unearned run. According to Reuters Braden Montgomery and Chase Meidroth each had multi-hit games. Pinch-hitter Randal Grichuk also finished with two hits.
The White Sox will look to close out the best-of-three series Wednesday at Daikin Park. Chicago started Antonacci in left field and Chase Meidroth at second base while Grichuk entered as a pinch-hitter for Andrew Benintendi. The White Sox last won a postseason series when they swept the Astros in the 2005 World Series.
Both teams used openers in Game 1 but the results were vastly different. Houston manager Joe Espada acknowledged that his team’s early pitching struggles left them in a difficult position. Chicago now has a chance to end the series in Game 2.
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