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09/24 17:19 CDT After three straight 100-loss seasons, the improbable White Sox
are headed back to the postseason
After three straight 100-loss seasons, the improbable White Sox are headed back
to the postseason
By DAVE SKRETTA
AP Sports Writer
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) --- After becoming the first team in major league history
to follow consecutive 100-loss seasons with a playoff berth, nobody would have
begrudged the White Sox for spilling over the dugout railing Thursday and
celebrating wildly on the field in Kauffman Stadium.
Instead, they matter-of-factly formed a handshake line, as if their 9-1 win
over the Royals was any 'ol mid-summer matinee.
They were saving the party for the clubhouse.
The White Sox clinched no worse than one of three AL wild-card spots with the
rout in Kansas City, and in the plastic-draped visiting locker room, the
bottles of Mot were stacking up quickly. Miguel Vargas was drenched, Munetaka
Murakami was beaming and a team expected to finish last in the AL Central was
relishing in a most improbable postseason appearance.
"This means a lot for us," Vargas said. "We've been chasing this moment for a
long time. It's special for us. It's special for the whole organization. This
is a special group of guys, and this is the most fun we can have."
That might be a bit of hyperbole. The White Sox could be replicating --- or,
one-upping --- the celebration this weekend.
That's because they still have their sights set on a division title. The White
Sox began the day just a game back of Cleveland, which was finishing a
three-game set in Boston later Thursday. Chicago was headed home for three
games against last-place Colorado, while the Guardians were getting ready to
fly to Kansas City, where they wrap up their regular season this weekend.
Maybe that's why the White Sox showed some restraint in celebrating their
postseason berth right in front of the Royals.
They could still use a little help from them.
"They know what this is about," White Sox manager Will Venable said. "This
comes with the expectation that this was going to happen, which is really cool.
They're definitely letting loose right now, we'll have a fun plane ride, but
then back to business tomorrow."
It was a charmed all-around day for the city of Chicago. Just as the White Sox
were securing a postseason pass, the Cubs were tying up a 2-1 win over the
Marlins, clinching a wild-card spot of their own in the NL playoffs. Both
Chicago teams reached the postseason for the fourth time after 1906, 2008 and
2020.
The Cubs made it last year, too, when the White Sox were busy losing 102 games
and seemed to have little reason to hope.
It wasn't just that the White Sox were two years removed from losing 121 games,
setting a post-1900 record, or that no team had made the playoffs after
consecutive 100-loss seasons --- let alone three in a row. But even midway
through April, they were making good --- err, bad? --- on most folks'
expectations, starting 6-13 and looking every bit the part of a perennial loser.
But then their youngsters starting slugging, and the White Sox started piling
up wins.
Murakami, who signed a two-year, $34 million deal in December --- after the
White Sox paid a $6,575,000 posting fee to the Yakult Swallows --- has 33
homers and drove in his 74th run Thursday. Vargas has been receiving some MVP
hype after hitting 33 homers of his own and driving in 92. And Colson
Montgomery, who on Thursday tied Mark Reynolds' season record of 223
strikeouts, has masked all those whiffs by hitting 31 homers and driving in 87
runs.
"W's are all that matters," Montgomery said, Champagne and beer dripping from
his goggles in the middle of the pandemonium. "You see this? This is all that
matters. Whatever I can do to help the team, that's all I care about."
Chicago's trade of left-handed ace Garrett Crochet to the Red Sox in December
2024 also has paid long-term dividends.
Three players that the White Sox landed in the deal --- Kyle Teel, Chase
Meidroth and Braden Montgomery --- were in the lineup Thursday, and all played
a big role in helping the White Sox clinch the 12th postseason appearance.
Teel homered, reached base five times and scored three runs. Meidroth had a
couple of hits, extending his on-base streak to 15 games. And batting last in
the order, Montgomery had a hit and scored during a three-run second inning
that broke open the game.
It was 6-0 after two innings and 8-0 after four. And pretty soon, plastic tarps
were going up in the visitors clubhouse, an almost unfathomable party just 90
minutes away.
"This is what the White Sox is. We come together," Murakami said, "and this is
not the end. We're going to start from here."
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See AP's full MLB coverage here
