Player of the gameGrant TaylorCHW2.1ip 2h 0er 1bb 5k
HOUSTON – Sam Antonacci tripped running out of the dugout during pregame introductions for Game 1 of the American League Wild Card Series between his White Sox and the Astros on Tuesday at Daikin Park. That misstep was pretty much the only one encountered by the White Sox during a 6-3 victory over the American League West champions. With another win on Wednesday or Thursday, the White Sox would claim their first playoff series victory since a four-game sweep of the Astros in the 2005 World Series, with staff ace Sean Burke set to play a significant role in Game 2 on Wednesday. A victory in either of these next two days would send the White Sox to Cleveland for a best-of-five AL Division Series. The Guardians won the AL Central by one game, despite the White Sox winning the season series, 7-6. It was bullpen games Tuesday for both teams: By choice for the White Sox, and more out of necessity for the Astros, who had just used their main starters against the A’s to win the division – which they needed to do to reach the playoffs over the Rangers. And it worked much better for the visiting South Siders.
