Davis Martin attempted to cover first base when Jake McCarthy hit a grounder. First baseman Munetaka Murakami threw the ball to Martin, the Chicago White Sox pitcher, but Martin dropped it. The game’s first batter reached base on an error. It was an early indication of struggles for the Sox, who couldn’t recover in their 9-6 loss to the Colorado Rockies before a crowd of 31,938 at Rate Field.
The Chicago White Sox and the Cubs both advance to the playoffs, with each team set to play their wild-card series on the road starting Tuesday. The loss ended the Sox’s pursuit of the American League Central title, and the Cleveland Guardians secured the division with an 11-5 win against the Royals. The Sox will enter the playoffs as the No. 6 seed, facing either the Texas Rangers or Houston Astros in a best-of-three American League wild-card series beginning Tuesday.
“Obviously, we didn’t win the division, which is disappointing,” manager Will Venable expressed. “But we’re proud of the group. Moving into the playoffs is still an accomplishment. We’ll wrap up Sunday’s game, aim to win that, and head into the playoffs positively.”
The Guardians claimed the division title for the third consecutive year and seventh time in 11 years, earning a first-round bye as the American League’s No. 2 seed. “Give them credit,” Venable noted. “We’ve competed fiercely with them, and they’ve shown their strength by finishing strong. It’s a target for us in the future. Right now, we’re excited and proud to head to the playoffs.”
The Sox struggled to recover from an early deficit on Saturday. Martin allowed three runs (two earned) with three hits, one strikeout, and one walk in two-thirds of an inning, facing seven batters. “I didn’t do my job, didn’t set the tone, it was all bad,” Martin admitted.
Following his error, Martin gave up a single to Cole Carrigg, struck out Hunter Goodman, but watched TJ Rumfield hit an RBI single. Martin walked Connor Norby, which loaded the bases for Adael Amador, who hit a sharp grounder beyond second baseman Sam Antonacci’s reach. Two runs scored, putting the Rockies ahead 3-0.
Martin exited after Mickey Moniak’s lineout to right field. “The error put him behind,” Venable said. “Following some hard hits, we decided to give reliever Noah Schultz a shot.”
Brenton Doyle hit a home run in the second inning, narrowing the Sox’s deficit to 3-1. Solo home runs were exchanged in the third inning; Goodman for the Rockies and Luisangel Acuña for the Sox. Ezequiel Tovar’s solo homer in the fourth extended the Rockies’ lead to three runs again.
The Sox brought potential tying runs to the plate several times. Randal Grichuk popped out to end the fifth. Colson Montgomery struck out to end the sixth. In the seventh, the Sox scored once, cutting the deficit to 5-3. With a runner on second and two out, Murakami’s long flyout ended the inning.
They had another opportunity in the eighth, starting with Chase Meidroth’s double. Meidroth, returning after dealing with hamstring soreness, reached third on Kyle Teel’s single. Yet, Antonacci struck out, and Montgomery ended the inning with a double play. “We’re a few hits short of getting runs across,” Venable remarked. “But the team’s competitive spirit remains high.”
The Rockies added four runs in the ninth, thanks to Goodman’s three-run homer, and extended their lead to 9-3. Andrew Benintendi hit a three-run home run in the bottom of the ninth, but the Sox couldn’t complete the comeback. “Winning the division was our goal, but we now focus ahead,” third baseman Miguel Vargas stated.
The Sox conclude the regular season on Sunday, with more action awaiting them in the playoffs. “The year presents tough games like this, but every new day is a new chance,” Meidroth explained. “Tomorrow, our focus will be on the wild-card series.”
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