The Chicago White Sox, two years after setting the major-league record for losses, have just won a playoff series.
And they have a Michigan man to thank.
The White Sox beat the Houston Astros, 7-3, on Wednesday, Sept. 30, at Daikin Park in Houston, to sweep the best-of-three wild-card series. The White Sox will play the Cleveland Guardians in the best-of-five American League Division Series. It’s a meeting of AL Central rivals. That ALDS starts Saturday, Oct. 3, at Progressive Field in Cleveland.
It’s the first postseason series victory since the 2005 World Series, which they also won against Houston, when the Astros were in the National League.
The White Sox are led by vice president and general manager Chris Getz, a former major-league infielder who is from Metro Detroit. He attended Grosse Pointe South High School and the University of Michigan.
Getz was named White Sox general manager in 2021, and spent several years making a flurry of trades, many of them roundly criticized by fans and pundits. The organization bottomed out the last three years, when they lost more than 100 games each year — including an MLB-record 121 in 2024.
They had only had four 100-loss seasons in their history, prior to 2023. The franchise dates to 1901.
This season, the White Sox entered with a miniscule chance to make the playoffs — 1.2% were the odds, according to FanGraphs. But behind an electric offense, including free-agent signing Munetaka Murakami, the White Sox went 84-78. While they lost in the division in the waning days to the Guardians, they still won a wild-card spot.
A big sweep of the Tigers at Comerica Park in mid-August helped them begin their final push for a most-improbable trip to the playoffs.
CHILLS. pic.twitter.com/eOnSA6Bc7J
Enjoying this article? Support our work with a small crypto donation.— Chicago White Sox (@whitesox) October 1, 2026
They were the first team in MLB history to make the postseason after two consecutive 100-loss seasons, let alone three. The White Sox season has been reminiscent of the 2006 Tigers, who stunningly made it to the World Series, just three years after losing a then-AL-record 119 games.
The White Sox never trailed the Astros in the two wins in the wild-card series, and on Wednesday, they bounced Houston starter Hunter Brown (St. Clair Shores, Wayne State) with four runs in the first inning.
This will mark the third straight year the Guardians face a fellow AL Central team in the playoffs. They lost to the Tigers in the wild-card round in 2025, and beat the Tigers in the ALDS in 2024.
tpaul@detroitnews.com
@tonypaul1984
This article originally appeared on The Detroit News: White Sox win playoff series, and they have Michigan man to thank
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