LOS ANGELES — Chicago's White Sox and Cubs both grabbed post-season berths with wins Thursday, as did the Cleveland Guardians and San Diego Padres, as the Major League Baseball playoff brackets began to take their final shape.
Within minutes of one another, the Windy City rivals became the seventh and eighth teams to book October baseball. The Guardians and Padres each followed suit a few hours later, leaving just two spots up for grabs.
The White Sox crowned an extraordinary turnaround season, securing at least a wild card spot after losing more than 100 games in each of their previous three seasons.
They routed the Kansas City Royals, 9-1. The White Sox scored three runs in each of their first two innings, before a Kyle Teel home run in the fourth left little doubt.
Chicago shortstop Colson Montgomery equaled the unwanted record for the most strikeouts in an MLB season, with his 223rd — tying the Arizona Diamondbacks' Mark Reynolds in 2009.
Still, the White Sox will make their first post-season appearance since 2021.
"You know how the past couple seasons have been with us. We always envisioned this," said Montgomery.
Their divisional rival Cleveland Guardians also booked playoff progress with a 1-0 win over the Boston Red Sox.
The Guardians led in the second inning thanks to an Angel Martinez homer to right field. It proved the game's only run.
With both through, the White Sox and Guardians will now duke it out for the divisional title and a first-round bye.
In the National League, the Cubs edged the Miami Marlins, 2-1, to claim their own wild-card spot.
A stolen base in the first inning by Pete Crow-Armstrong made him the seventh player with 40 homers and 40 stolen bases in a season.
Miami opened the scoring in the third inning, but a Seiya Suzuki homer in the fifth got the Cubs back on track.
Ian Happ scored from a Nico Hoerner single the next inning and the Cubs held out.
The Padres clinched with a 4-2 win over the Los Angeles Dodgers.
