Chicago’s White Sox and Cubs both grabbed post-season berths with wins Thursday as the Major League Baseball playoff brackets began to take shape.
The White Sox scored three runs in each of their first two innings, before a Kyle Teel home run in the fourth left little doubt. They did so in emphatic style, routing the Kansas City Royals 9-1. Chicago shortstop Colson Montgomery equaled the unwanted record for the most strikeouts in an MLB season, with his 223rd time on Thursday tying the Arizona Diamondbacks’ Mark Reynolds in 2009. Still, the White Sox will now make their first post-season appearance since winning the American League Central division title in 2021. Meanwhile, the Cubs edged the Miami Marlins 2-1 to claim their own wild card spot in the National League.
A stolen base in the first inning by Pete Crow-Armstrong made him the seventh player with 40 homers and 40 stolen bases in a season. He has 45 homers this season. Ian Happ scored from a Nico Hoerner single the very next inning and the Cubs held out for the win.
