White Sox Stun Astros 6-3 in AL Wild Card Game 1

The Chicago White Sox walked into Daikin Park as massive underdogs and walked out with a 1-0 series lead. Powered by Colson Montgomery’s 432-foot home run and a fearless performance from rookie left-hander Hagen Smith, the White Sox beat the Houston Astros 6-3 on Tuesday night in Game 1 of the American League Wild Card Series, per Reuters.

The victory was Chicago’s first postseason win since 2021, and it puts the franchise on the verge of its first playoff series win since sweeping these same Astros in the 2005 World Series. Game 2 is set for Wednesday in Houston, where the White Sox will need one more win to close out the best-of-three series.

White Sox Strike First Against the Astros

Both teams opened the game with openers, and the results could not have been more different. Astros rookie right-hander AJ Blubaugh did not survive the top of the first inning, walking Sam Antonacci, Miguel Vargas and Andrew Benintendi in the frame. Antonacci scored on Munetaka Murakami’s sacrifice fly for a 1-0 lead before left-hander Bryan King replaced Blubaugh and struck out Tristan Peters to limit the damage.

The White Sox kept the pressure on in the second. After hits from Braden Montgomery and Chase Meidroth, King hit Colson Montgomery with a pitch to load the bases with nobody out. Antonacci followed with a two-run single, building the lead to 3-0 before Houston could exhale.

While the Astros’ opener experiment imploded, Chicago’s worked perfectly. Hagen Smith, a rookie left-hander making just his second career start — and his first in the postseason — worked three scoreless innings. He worked around Isaac Paredes’ two-out single in the first, retired the Astros in order in the second and stranded Cam Smith on third after he opened the third with an opposite-field single to right.

Colson Montgomery’s 432-Foot Statement

Colson Montgomery entered the postseason as a genuine question mark. He slugged 31 home runs during the regular season but hit ninth on Tuesday after slashing .065/.194/.097 with 34 strikeouts over his last 19 games. Manager Will Venable’s decision to drop him to the bottom of the order looked like a concession — instead, it became a masterstroke.

Montgomery led off the fourth inning and crushed the first pitch he saw from Astros right-hander Miguel Ullola 432 feet to straightaway center, his first career postseason home run. The White Sox dugout emptied onto the steps, and the small contingent of Chicago fans in the building made themselves heard. It was the kind of swing that can rescue a season’s narrative in a single night.

Chicago extended the lead to 5-0 in the fifth when Murakami walked and scored on Meidroth’s bases-loaded single. The White Sox tacked on another run in the seventh when Murakami singled and scored on a wild pitch by Bennett Sousa.

Astros’ Late Rally Falls Short

Houston showed signs of life in the fifth when pinch-hitter Nelson Velazquez launched a two-run homer to cut the deficit to 5-2. And in the eighth, the Astros finally threatened to steal the game. Jeremy Pena singled, Yordan Alvarez lined a 103-mph single for his first hit of the night after three groundouts, and an error by the White Sox brought a run home.

With the tying run at the plate, Grant Taylor struck out Yainer Diaz — his third strikeout of the inning — touching 100.2 mph along the way. The rally died, and with it went Houston’s best chance of the night. It was the Astros’ eighth straight home postseason loss, a streak that is quietly becoming one of the more remarkable trends in baseball.

What This Means for the AL Wild Card Series

History is firmly on Chicago’s side. Since the best-of-three wild-card format began in 2022, the Game 1 winner has taken 15 of 16 series, according to USA Today. The only comeback came last year, when the Yankees beat Boston. The White Sox have two chances to finish the job; Houston must win both.

For the Astros, the immediate concern is the bullpen’s ability to handle high-leverage innings after the opener strategy backfired. Hunter Brown is set to start Game 2 for Houston, while the White Sox have not yet named a starter. If Chicago’s rookie-heavy roster can win one more on the road, the franchise’s postseason drought — stretching back to that 2005 championship — officially enters a new chapter.

For more postseason coverage, see our recap of Yankees vs. Red Sox in Game 1 of the AL Wild Card Series.

FAQs

Who won White Sox vs. Astros Game 1?

The Chicago White Sox defeated the Houston Astros 6-3 on September 29, 2026, at Daikin Park, taking a 1-0 lead in the best-of-three AL Wild Card Series.

Who hit the home run for the White Sox in Game 1?

Colson Montgomery hit his first career postseason home run — a 432-foot solo shot to straightaway center in the fourth inning. Nelson Velazquez hit a two-run homer for Houston.

When is Game 2 of White Sox vs. Astros?

Game 2 is scheduled for Wednesday, September 30, in Houston. Hunter Brown is set to start for the Astros; the White Sox had not named a starter as of Game 1’s conclusion.

How many times has the Game 1 winner won the wild-card series?

Since the best-of-three format began in 2022, the Game 1 winner has won 15 of 16 series — a stat that strongly favors the White Sox heading into Game 2.