White Sox used specific formula to win wild-card series over Astros

The Chicago White Sox took early leads and relied on their bullpen to complete a two-game sweep of the Houston Astros in the American League Wild Card series. The White Sox led 5-0 after 4.5 innings in Game 1 one and scored four runs in the top of the first inning in Game 2.

Houston never recovered from the White Sox early leads in either game. The White Sox never trailed in the series. Chicago scoring runs in the first inning in both games put pressure on Houston. The Astros rallied in both games to put game pressure on the White Sox, but the bullpen got out of jams to close both games.

A Nelson Velázquez two-run home run in the bottom of the fifth cut the Houston deficit to 5-2. The White Sox scored a run in the seventh, which the Astros matched in the bottom of the eighth for the final 6-3 margin in Game 1. The Game 1 win was the White Sox's first postseason road victory since Game 4 of the 2005 World Series in Houston.

In Game 2, Jeremy Pena hit a leadoff HR in the bottom of the first inning, Cam Smith went deep in the second, and Jose Altuve left the yard in the bottom of the fourth as Houston cut their deficit to 4-3. Chase Meidroth restored the White Sox four-run lead with a three-run HR in the sixth to close the scoring.