The Chicago White Sox defeated the Houston Astros 6-3 in Game 1 of their AL Wild Card Series on Tuesday, with the South Siders' bullpen outlasting Houston's relief corps in a game that saw both teams combine for 13 pitchers.
Colson Montgomery homered in the fifth inning for Chicago, while Sam Antonacci drove in two runs with a base hit in the second. Grant Taylor sealed the victory with a 7-out save, striking out five batters over the final 2.1 innings. One outlet attributed the result to Houston's bullpen imploding, while another cited a rookie left-hander, Hagen Smith, helping the White Sox prevail, though the sources don't fully clarify the roles of these pitchers.
The White Sox, making their first playoff appearance since 2021, put themselves in position to advance with the victory. The Astros faced rare boos from their home crowd at Daikin Park following the loss, per reporting on the team's fan reaction.