CHICAGO -- Everything went as the White Sox wanted across the league on Wednesday night.
Cleveland (74-73) lost in Baltimore, lowering the South Siders’ magic number to 14 in the American League Central, assuming the White Sox maintain their current two-game season-series edge on the Guardians with three games on the docket starting Monday in Cleveland. Toronto (73-74) and Texas (72-74) also lost, dropping the White Sox magic number to clinch a playoff spot down to 13, as Chicago holds the tiebreaker over both.
Even Houston (74-72) fell in the battle for the AL’s No. 2 seed, which earns a bye during the Wild Card round, keeping the White Sox edge at 1 1/2 games.
Here’s the only problem: The White Sox also lost their second straight to the Pirates, dropping a 4-2 decision at Rate Field.
“That’s how it goes sometimes,” said Venable of the team’s third defeat in four games. “You gotta give the Pirates credit. They did a really nice job with their pitching.
“We saw some really tough matchups for us. And give our offense credit, too. We couldn’t get that big knock, but really good job late in the game, loading the bases twice.”
The setback wasn’t without a little on-field histrionics.
With the bases loaded and one out in the seventh, Miguel Vargas hit into an inning-ending double play started by Pirates third baseman Jared Triolo. Sam Antonacci, who drove in a run with an infield single during the previous at-bat, appeared to throw a slight elbow with his left arm into second baseman Brandon Lowe on the slide, leading to both benches and bullpens emptying.
Nothing much came of the situation aside from warnings for both sides and a great deal of on-field conversation and a few raised voices. Lowe had grumbled at Antonacci for sliding hard into second base on Tuesday, according to Antonacci, before making his opinions clear again on Wednesday to the 2026 White Sox recipient of the Heart & Hustle Award.
“I've had trouble with that too, going in with my right leg,” said Antonacci of the elbow at the end of the slide. “Your left arm wants to come up, whereas if you run down with your left leg, your right arm would want to come up. But [it’s a] completely legal slide and I don't think a lot of people are used to having plays like that anymore. As long as you keep contact with the bag.”
Venable added: “He mentioned there was a comment after his slide. That was really it. That happens all the time. Guys play hard and whatever in that slide that Lowe didn’t appreciate, he let Sam know and they had a discussion.”
Pittsburgh (73-73) employed a bullpen game, much as the White Sox did during a Sunday victory over the Twins. Those eight Pirates hurlers included Brandon Eisert, who struck out five over 2 1/3 scoreless frames, the same Eisert who topped the White Sox with 72 appearances in ‘25. Davis Martin (9-7) allowed one run over five innings, with the lone run coming on a Esmerlyn Valdez home run off an 0-2 sinker in the fifth. The Pirates added three in the seventh off Sean Newcomb.
Colson Montgomery struck out three times, making him the third player in franchise history to reach 200 strikeouts in a single season (201). Only Adam Dunn (222 in 2012) and Yoán Moncada (217 in 2018) have had more in a single season. Munetaka Murakami, who homered in the eighth, had a streak of eight straight plate appearances with a strikeout, dating back to Sunday night, come to an end when he was hit by a Gregory Soto pitch in the sixth.
“During that last at-bat, I was able to see a lot of hope,” said Murakami through interpreter Kenzo Yagi. “I was able to reset. So I think in the upcoming games, I’m able to go in with a better mindset and result and hope for the best.”
As has been the case all season, the White Sox didn’t exit quietly. Following Murakami’s 31st homer, the White Sox loaded the bases with one out against Luke Weaver. Chase Meidroth’s line drive, with a Statcast-projected 100.6 mph exit velocity, was caught by Triolo at third and turned into an unassisted double play.
Thursday’s night contest will complete a six-game homestand for the White Sox, who stand at 75-70 after losing seven of their last 10 games. They have 17 games remaining to finish this amazing turnaround season with a playoff appearance and won’t budge from the approach to get them here.
“You’ve got to wake up tomorrow and you’ve got to go play your game,” Martin said. “You’ve got to go get back to it.
“It’s nothing we’re afraid of. Just forging those characteristics of resiliency throughout the course of this year -- we’ve faced some adversity and we’ve always bounced back.”