Chicago’s White Sox and Cubs both secured postseason berths on Thursday, joined by the Cleveland Guardians and San Diego Padres as Major League Baseball’s playoff picture rapidly crystallized. Within minutes of each other, the Windy City rivals claimed the seventh and eighth spots for October baseball, while the Guardians and Padres followed hours later to leave just two remaining postseason slots up for grabs.
White Sox Crown Historic Turnaround
The Chicago White Sox capped an extraordinary turnaround season by routing the Kansas City Royals 9-1 to secure at least a wild card spot, reversing three consecutive campaigns of 100 or more losses. The White Sox jumped ahead with three runs in each of the first two innings before a Kyle Teel home run in the fourth inning solidified their advantage.
During the contest, Chicago shortstop Colson Montgomery struck out for the 223rd time this season, tying Mark Reynolds’s 2009 record for the most strikeouts in a single MLB campaign. Despite the milestone, the White Sox are heading back to the postseason for the first time since 2021.
“You know how the past couple seasons have been with us. We always envisioned this,” Montgomery said. “Deep down and everything like that, we all believed in ourselves, believed in each other. For this to come to fruition, it’s awesome.”
Guardians Clinch with Low-Scoring Win
In divisional action, the Cleveland Guardians secured their playoff ticket with a tight 1-0 victory over the Boston Red Sox. Angel Martinez provided the game’s sole offense in the second inning with a home run to right field.
With both Cleveland and the White Sox now holding playoff berths, the two divisional rivals will battle down the stretch for the divisional title and a coveted first-round bye.
Cubs and Padres Lock Down Wild Cards
Over in the National League, the Chicago Cubs edged the Miami Marlins 2-1 to lock down a wild card position. Pete Crow-Armstrong stole a base in the first inning, making him the seventh player to record 40 home runs and 40 stolen bases in a single season. After Miami opened the scoring in the third, Seiya Suzuki answered with a home run in the fifth, followed by an RBI single from Nico Hoerner driving in Ian Happ in the sixth to hold off the Marlins.
Meanwhile, the San Diego Padres punched their ticket with a 4-2 win against the Los Angeles Dodgers. Ethan Salas scored on a Dustin Harris sacrifice fly in the sixth inning, and the Padres tacked on three runs in the seventh to withstand a late push from the Dodgers.
The Playoff Picture Nears Completion
Before Thursday’s action, six teams had already booked their postseason tickets: the Los Angeles Dodgers, Boston Red Sox, Milwaukee Brewers, New York Yankees, Tampa Bay Rays, and Atlanta Braves. The Brewers defeated the Philadelphia Phillies to reach 100 regular-season wins for the first time ever, clinching the National League’s top seed and home-field advantage throughout the playoffs due to a Dodgers loss.
The Philadelphia Phillies remain locked in a battle to fend off the charging Arizona Diamondbacks for the final National League spot. In the American League, the remaining berth will be decided by the winner of the Western division, which features a race between the Houston Astros and Texas Rangers.
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