The Chicago White Sox came into the postseason after five years, and they looked like they never left. They beat the Astros 6-3 in Game 1 of the Wild Card, and two games might be what the White Sox need to make it to the ALDS. One analyst believes the White Sox have a sure-shot formula to put the Astros at a disadvantage in Game 2 on Wednesday.
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Speaking on the “Foul Territory” post-game podcast on Tuesday, former MLB player and analyst A.J. Pierzynski said, “It’s almost better to be on the road because you get that first shot, right? Get the first shot to score. And if you score early, especially in an elimination game like tomorrow, man, it puts so much pressure on the home team… If the White Sox can jump on them early tomorrow, this series could be over in two games.”
The White Sox already know what can happen when they strike first on the road in October. Against the Astros on Tuesday, Chicago scored in the first inning and quickly turned the pressure on Houston. Now, with the series on the line, the White Sox have another chance to nail that approach.
In Game 1, Sam Antonacci walked to begin the game before an error helped him reach third base. Munetaka Murakami then hit a sacrifice fly, giving the South Side a 1-0 lead.
The White Sox added two more runs in the second, with Antonacci driving runners home on a single. And the Astros never really found their footing after falling behind early in front of their home crowd.
Colson Montgomery then opened the fourth inning with a 432-foot homer to center field. That made it 4-0. Chicago added another run in the 5th, thanks to Chase Meidroth, before the Astros finally answered with Nelson Velazquez’s 2-run homer (388 feet).
Even then, the home heroes never managed to make Chicago’s lead feel safe. Houston scored again in the eighth, cutting the deficit to 6-3 with runners on base. Grant Taylor faced Yainer Diaz with the tying run on base. A full-count curveball froze Diaz, ending Houston’s late rally.
That is why scoring first could matter even more when these teams meet again. Houston already has the pressure of a must-win game, and adding the pressure of chasing the game from the early stages could be too much for the Astros, who finished 81-81 in the regular season.
For Chicago, there is also something personal waiting beyond this Wild Card Series against the Astros. The White Sox have endured three straight 100-loss seasons before reaching October this year. They also lost to the Astros in the 2021 ALDS, their most recent postseason series.
And that is a good example of what A.J. Pierzynski is saying. During the 2021 ALDS, the White Sox struck first in Game 3, dominated the game, and beat the Astros 12-6. Although they did strike first in Game 4, they didn’t score again and lost the series.
Now, defeating Houston could send Chicago into the ALDS and finally end that long wait.
Their 11 hits in Game 1 showed why Houston spent most of the night chasing answers. And that game showed a lot about which pitchers the White Sox can trust to control the rivals’ scoreboard.
Hagen Smith opened Game 1 by facing 11 batters across three scoreless innings for Chicago. He retired Yordan Alvarez twice, using grounders to second and third. Smith needed no huge strikeout total because Houston rarely made solid contact against him.
Jordan Hicks followed Smith with 1.1 perfect innings, striking out a batter while protecting Chicago’s lead, giving Will Venable another dependable bullpen option for a deep postseason run.
Then Grant Taylor handled Houston’s late push. He threw 54 pitches across 2.1 innings. He struck out five, allowing one unearned run before closing the curtains on the game.
Among the hitters, Braden Montgomery stood out. He carried his late-season form into October, collecting two hits and scoring once. He entered the playoffs after hitting .440 across his final seven regular-season games for Chicago. Montgomery also handled his defensive chances, giving Chicago another steady presence in the field.
With these players on the team, the South Side of Chicago has very little to worry about and might just be just one game away from booking a date with the Guardians.