After becoming the first team in major league history to follow consecutive 100-loss seasons with a playoff berth, nobody would have begrudged the White Sox for spilling over the dugout railing Thursday and celebrating wildly on the field in Kauffman Stadium.
asserted
nobody → become → Stadium
Instead, they matter-of-factly formed a handshake line, as if their 9-1 win over the Royals was any ‘ol mid-summer matinee.
asserted
win → form → Royals
They were saving the party for the clubhouse.
asserted
They → save → clubhouse
The White Sox clinched no worse than one of three AL wild-card spots with the rout in Kansas City, and in the plastic-draped visiting locker room, the bottles of Moët were stacking up quickly.
asserted
bottles → clinch → Moët
Miguel Vargas was drenched, Munetaka Murakami was beaming and a team expected to finish last in the AL Central was relishing in a most improbable postseason appearance.
asserted
team → drench → appearance
“This means a lot for us,” Vargas said.
asserted
Vargas → mean → us
“We’ve been chasing this moment for a long time.
asserted
We → chase → time
It’s special for us.
asserted
It → ’ → us
It’s special for the whole organization.
asserted
It → ’ → organization
This is a special group of guys, and this is the most fun we can have.
asserted
we → have → guys
The White Sox could be replicating — or, one-upping — the celebration this weekend.
uncertain
Sox → replicate → celebration
That’s because they still have their sights set on a division title.
asserted
sights → ’ → title
The White Sox began the day just a game back of Cleveland, which was finishing a three-game set in Boston later Thursday.
asserted
which → begin → Boston
Chicago was headed home for three games against last-place Colorado, while the Guardians were getting ready to fly to Kansas City, where they wrap up their regular season this weekend.
asserted
they → head → season
Maybe that’s why the White Sox showed some restraint in celebrating their postseason berth right in front of the Royals.
asserted
Sox → ’ → Royals
They could still use a little help from them.
uncertain
They → use → them
“They know what this is about,” White Sox manager Will Venable said.
asserted
Venable → know → what
“This comes with the expectation that this was going to happen, which is really cool.
asserted
which → come → expectation
They’re definitely letting loose right now, we’ll have a fun plane ride, but then back to business tomorrow.
asserted
we → let → business
Just as the White Sox were securing a postseason pass, the Cubs were tying up a 2-1 win over the Marlins, clinching a wild-card spot of their own in the NL playoffs.
asserted
Cubs → secure → playoffs
Both Chicago teams reached the postseason for the fourth time after 1906, 2008 and 2020.
asserted
teams → reach → 1906
The Cubs made it last year, too, when the White Sox were busy losing 102 games and seemed to have little reason to hope.
asserted
Sox → make → reason
It wasn’t just that the White Sox were two years removed from losing 121 games, setting a post-1900 record, or that no team had made the playoffs after consecutive 100-loss seasons — let alone three in a row.
asserted
team → remove → row
But even midway through April, they were making good — err, bad? — on most folks’ expectations, starting 6-13 and looking every bit the part of a perennial loser.
asserted
they → make → loser
But then their youngsters starting slugging, and the White Sox started piling up wins.
asserted
Sox → starting → wins
Murakami, who signed a two-year, $34 million deal in December — after the White Sox paid a $6,575,000 posting fee to the Yakult Swallows — has 33 homers and drove in his 74th run Thursday.
asserted
Sox → sign → run
Vargas has been receiving some MVP hype after hitting 33 homers of his own and driving in 92.
asserted
Vargas → receive → 92
And Colson Montgomery, who on Thursday tied Mark Reynolds’ season record of 223 strikeouts, has masked all those whiffs by hitting 31 homers and driving in 87 runs.
asserted
who → tie → runs
“W’s are all that matters,” Montgomery said, Champagne and beer dripping from his goggles in the middle of the pandemonium.
asserted
Champagne → matter → pandemonium
“You see this?
asserted
You → see → this
This is all that matters.
asserted
that → matter → ?
Whatever I can do to help the team, that’s all I care about.”
asserted
I → do → team
Chicago’s trade of left-handed ace Garrett Crochet to the Red Sox in December 2024 also has paid long-term dividends.
asserted
trade → pay → dividends
Three players that the White Sox landed in the deal — Kyle Teel, Chase Meidroth and Braden Montgomery — were in the lineup Thursday, and all played a big role in helping the White Sox clinch the 12th postseason appearance.
asserted
Sox → land → appearance
Teel homered, reached base five times and scored three runs.
asserted
Teel → homer → runs
Meidroth had a couple of hits, extending his on-base streak to 15 games.
asserted
Meidroth → have → games
And batting last in the order, Montgomery had a hit and scored during a three-run second inning that broke open the game.
asserted
that → bat → game
And pretty soon, plastic tarps were going up in the visitors clubhouse, an almost unfathomable party
asserted
tarps → go → party
We come together,” Murakami said, “and this is not the end.
asserted
this → come → ?
We’re going to start from here.”
asserted
We → go → ?
The Aporia
