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HOUSTON -- From 100 losses to their first playoff series win in two decades, these scrappy Chicago White Sox just keep outdoing themselves.
The White Sox used a big first inning and a three-run homer from Chase Meidroth to propel them to a 7-3 win over the Houston Astros on Wednesday to sweep their AL Wild Card Series.
"I'm proud of the guys and certainly happy for them as they're probably the only ones in this country that believed that they could be in this spot," manager Will Venable said. "And they maintained that belief in the beginning of the season and went throughout the season maintaining that, and they made it happen. So it's awesome to get to this point."
It's the first time Chicago has won a playoff series since beating Houston in the World Series in 2005. Under the direction of Venable, the second-year skipper, and with a letter of support from Pope Leo XIV, the White Sox advanced to face AL Central champion Cleveland in the AL Division Series beginning Saturday in Cleveland.
"It means everything for our fans," Meidroth said. "They have been incredible all year. So the main thing was getting back to Chicago for some postseason baseball, and so we're really blessed that we get to do that."
Harper atones
ATLANTA -- Bryce Harper's misplay in right field put Philadelphia in a hole. His homer an inning later put the Phillies in position for a comeback win that extended their postseason.
Alec Bohm put Philadelphia ahead with a two-out homer in the 10th inning, and the Phillies beat the Atlanta Braves 4-3 on Wednesday to force a decisive third game in their NL Wild Card Series.
The Phillies rallied with back-to-back homers from Kyle Schwarber and Harper in the eighth after trailing 3-1 in the seventh. Harper's homer made up for a crucial fielding mistake an inning earlier.
"I wasn't not trying to hit a homer, I can tell you that," Harper said with a smile.
Andrew Painter (1-0), a starter in the regular season, saved the Phillies' beleaguered bullpen with three scoreless innings to close things out. Painter stranded two runners in the 10th when he struck out Dominic Smith with a successful ABS challenge.
Playing under traditional extra-inning rules that don't include automatic runners at second base like in the regular season, Bohm delivered his third career postseason home run, a 357-foot shot to right field off right-hander Didier Fuentes (0-1).
For Bohm, who has faced criticism during a rocky season in which he hit .249 and is facing free agency, the homer may have extended his time with the Phillies.
"I've been trying not to think about that," Bohm said. "I really don't want the season to end."
Yanks sweep Sox
NEW YORK -- Max Fried dominated Boston in the playoffs for the second straight year, Cody Bellinger and Luis Garcia Jr. homered, and the New York Yankees romped over the Red Sox 9-2 Wednesday night for a two-game AL Wild Card Series sweep.
Clinging to a 2-1 lead after Willson Contreras homered to end Boston's 26-inning postseason scoreless streak, the Yankees broke the game open with a six-run sixth after Spencer Jones reached on a wild pitch while striking out leading off -- with the help of a video review.