White Sox Clinch Postseason Berth With Rout of Kansas City

The Chicago White Sox clinched an American League wild-card spot Thursday with a 9-1 win over the Kansas City Royals.

The Chicago White Sox secured at least an American League wild-card berth Thursday by defeating the Kansas City Royals 9-1 at Kauffman Stadium. Chicago established an early lead with a three-run second inning, extending the advantage to 6-0 after two frames and 8-0 by the end of the fourth. Kyle Teel homered, reached base five times, and scored three runs in the victory, while Chase Meidroth recorded two hits to extend his on-base streak to 15 games. Braden Montgomery contributed a hit and a run, and Colson Montgomery drove in his 87th run of the year despite tying a season record with his 223rd strikeout.

This victory marks win No. 82 for the White Sox, completing a turnaround from 324 total losses over the previous three seasons. The franchise is the first in major league history to qualify for the postseason immediately following consecutive 100-loss campaigns, which included a 121-loss season two years ago. Munetaka Murakami, who signed a $34 million deal in December, drove in his 74th run of the season during the contest. Miguel Vargas also contributed to the win, having now recorded 33 home runs and 92 RBIs on the year.

Chicago remains one game behind Cleveland for the AL Central lead as they head home for a three-game series against Colorado. The clinch occurred on the same day the Chicago Cubs secured a National League wild-card spot with a 2-1 win over the Marlins, marking the first time both Chicago franchises have clinched postseason berths on the same calendar day. The White Sox entered the season as 16-1 long shots to reach the playoffs according to DraftKings, the second-longest odds in the league.