Houston’s October ended as quickly as it began. The Astros put three balls over the fence Wednesday night, but Chase Meidroth’s three-run shot in the sixth turned the game for good as the Chicago White Sox finished a two-game American League Wild Card Series sweep with a 7-3 win at Daikin Park.
AL Wild Card Series Game 2
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| White Sox | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 7 |
| Astros | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
Houston had been the final club to secure a postseason spot, claiming the AL West on the last day of the regular season. It became the first team sent home from the 2026 bracket, dropping Game 2 after a 6-3 loss in Tuesday’s opener.
Hunter Brown’s start unraveled before the first inning could settle in. He faced nine White Sox hitters, allowed four runs—three earned—on five hits and a walk, and departed after 36 pitches with the bases loaded. Brown recorded only two outs, needing 16 pitches for the first and 30 for the second.
The inning was not clean behind him. Houston committed two errors, while Yordan Alvarez, stationed in left field, could not come down with a fly ball that appeared catchable. AJ Blubaugh, who had started Game 1, entered to retire Sam Antonacci on a grounder and prevent further damage.
The Astros answered the only way their lineup had regularly answered all season: with power. Jeremy Peña opened the bottom of the first with a homer. Cam Smith followed with a projected 440-foot drive in the second, and Jose Altuve pulled Houston within a run on a solo blast in the fourth.
| Astros home runs | Inning | Impact |
|---|---|---|
| Jeremy Peña | 1st | Leadoff homer |
| Cam Smith | 2nd | Projected 440 feet |
| Jose Altuve | 4th | Career postseason homer No. 28 |
Altuve’s 28th postseason home run left him one shy of Manny Ramirez’s all-time record. It also made the score 4-3, giving the Astros life after their early collapse.
Peter Lambert helped preserve that opening, working three scoreless innings out of the bullpen. Houston then built its best chance in the fifth against left-hander Anthony Kay. Alvarez lined out to left with runners on first and second, Kay walked Isaac Paredes to fill the bases, and Altuve lifted a fly to right to end the inning.
That was the door the White Sox needed to close. Lambert walked the first two batters in the sixth and left after throwing 48 pitches. Bryan Abreu took over, and Meidroth drove an Abreu slider out for three runs, restoring Chicago’s four-run cushion at 7-3.
The defeat extended Houston’s postseason home skid to nine games. It was also the second Wild Card Series sweep the club has absorbed in three years, following Detroit’s sweep in 2024.
For all of the abruptness of the ending, the Astros had already survived a demanding season. Early injuries contributed to a 20-31 start, and the organization parted with general manager Dana Brown in August. Houston still reached the postseason for the ninth time in 10 years, finishing 81-81 after leading the Majors in regular-season homers. On Wednesday, though, three more long balls were not enough to keep October going.
