October baseball descended into chaos Wednesday: the White Sox set a strikeout record in a loss, and the Yankees were swept. The Chicago White Sox’s upset loss on Wednesday proved that October baseball has officially entered chaos mode. The White Sox were just one win away from giving their fans a historic postseason moment at home, but instead, the Cleveland Guardians flipped the script, stormed back, and exposed a glaring weakness in a way Chicago had never experienced in the postseason before. What looked like a potential series-clinching celebration suddenly turned into a must-win Game 4.
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And while Chicago was left stunned, the New York Yankees suffered an even more brutal fate. A sweep at the hands of the Tampa Bay Rays sent the Bronx into heartbreak, with Jazz Chisholm Jr. finding himself at the center of the backlash as fans turned the boos toward him. Chisholm had his say on the criticism, but the Rays weren’t done either, taking their postgame celebration a step further with a pointed dig at their AL East rivals.
So, from historic humiliation to fan fury and a celebration rubbing salt in the wound, Wednesday had it all. Let’s dive into an action-packed night that left two fanbases hurting for very different reasons.
The White Sox made an unwarranted record
“The White Sox set an MLB postseason record for the most strikeouts in a nine-inning game with 19,” Foul Territory shared via X.
Chicago was all about dominance this year, and the ALDS was no different. They won the first two games against the Guardians, and winning on Wednesday would have made history. The White Sox would have won a postseason series at home for the first time in 120 years. However, Cleveland had some other plans.
A 9-3 loss was handed to the White Sox, and in doing so, every single hitter in Chicago’s starting lineup struck out at least once. The 19 punchouts shattered the previous single-game, nine-inning playoff record of 18, which was set by the Yankees against the Rays in 2020.
Cleveland utilized a total of seven pitchers during the bullpen game to systematically fan 19 batters across 9 innings. It started with Daniel Espino. He began the game by pitching 1 inning, striking out 2 batters while allowing Chicago’s early run. Foster Griffin followed it up by putting together a historic relief outing. He threw 2.2 innings and struck out a Guardians franchise postseason-record 7 batters from the bullpen.
In between, three subsequent bullpen arms combined to rack up another 5 strikeouts through the middle frames. Cade Smith shut down the final 2 frames of the game, striking out the final 5 batters.
However, despite the historic night at the plate, the White Sox still maintained a 2-1 lead in the best-of-five series. Chicago fans would hope that Game 4 will ensure their ALCS berth.
Chisholm gets honest on Yankees fans booing him
Yankees’ flamboyant star Jazz Chisholm getting booed is nothing new. However, he looked confused as the fans went on to boo him on Wednesday, which could be the final game in a Yankees jersey.
“It doesn’t hurt. It’s just confusing because it’s the playoffs and we’re trying to win games. So you’re booing a guy that’s playing, trying to help the team win. I already understand New York fans. They’ve booed Aaron Judge before; who am I? You know?” Chisholm said.
Well, his Game 2 error proved costly.
In Game 2, Chisholm committed a costly throwing error on an improbable double-play attempt, allowing the Rays to score their first run. With runners on the corners, Tampa Bay’s Junior Caminero hit a sharp grounder up the middle. George Lombard Jr. made a great stop and flipped the ball to Chisholm at second base for a forceout. Rather than holding the ball, Chisholm attempted a highly risky, off-balance spinning throw to first base in a desperate bid to turn a double play.
The wild throw sailed completely wide of first baseman Luis García Jr. and skipped all the way to the Rays’ dugout railing. This allowed Yandy Díaz to score easily from second base, handing the Rays an early lead in a game the Yankees eventually lost 5-2.
In his post-game interview, Chisholm doubled down on the mistake, stating, “Honestly, I’d probably still throw it,” which deeply frustrated fans looking for accountability.
He was benched in Game 3 and only acted as a pinch-hitter for Anthony Volpe in the 7th inning, where he popped out. Enough for the Yankees fans to let their frustrations be heard.
The Rays never miss a chance to take a dig at the Yankees
The Rays had a champagne-filled celebration in Yankee Stadium after they won the AL East. They now had another celebratory night at the same venue after beating the same opponent to qualify for the ALCS. However, what caught all eyes was their song selection.
The Rays played Frank Sinatra’s “Theme From New York, New York” and Jay-Z and Alicia Keys’ “Empire State of Mind” on their clubhouse and stadium speakers after sweeping the Yankees in Game 3. In doing so, their 2020 memory came back to life.
Back in 2020, the Rays celebrated their ALDS win over the Yankees in similar fashion, playing Frank Sinatra’s “Theme From New York, New York.”
The Rays will now face the White Sox or Guardians in the ALCS. For the Yankees, it’s another year without a World Series. The wait since 2009 just got one year longer.