The Chicago White Sox became the first team to follow consecutive 100-loss seasons by reaching the playoffs on Thursday, throttling the Kansas City Royals 9-1 to ensure no worse than one of the three AL wild-card spots for the postseason.
asserted
Sox → become → postseason
They could still win the AL Central, too.
uncertain
They → win → Central
The White Sox began the day one game behind the Cleveland Guardians.
asserted
Sox → begin → Guardians
Chicago has three games left at home against the last-place Colorado Rockies, while the Guardians wrap up their series in Boston on Thursday night before flying to Kansas City, where they coincidentally have three left against the Royals.
asserted
they → have → Royals
The White Sox win mathematically eliminated Baltimore from postseason contention.
asserted
win → eliminate → contention
Kyle Teel homered and reached base five times, and five different White Sox drove in runs.
asserted
Sox → homer → runs
David Sandlin (3-2) allowed one run on five hits over six innings against the club that drafted him out of Oklahoma four years ago.
asserted
that → allow → Oklahoma
Randy Dobnak (3-5) allowed six runs — four earned — for Kansas City.
asserted
Dobnak → allow → City
He also made two errors while retiring just four batters.
asserted
He → make → batters
Salvador Perez homered for the Royals, reaching 20 in a season for a club-record 10th time.
asserted
Perez → homer → time
The first couple of innings summed up what the White Sox have done so masterfully this season: They capitalized on mistakes.
asserted
They → sum → mistakes
Sam Antonacci opened the game with a single, Teel reached on a bunt when Dobnak’s throw was wide of first base, and Miguel Vargas followed with an RBI single.
asserted
Vargas → open → single
Andrew Benintendi added a sacrifice fly and, after Vargas stole second to get into scoring position, Tristan Peters brought him home with another single to make it 3-0.
asserted
it → add → single
More hijinks ensued in the second: Braden Montgomery singled leading off, Dobnak walked Antonacci, then the right-hander threw to nobody covering first base for his second error.
asserted
hander → ensue → error
That allowed Montgomery to easily score from second.
asserted
Montgomery → allow → second
By the time Dobnak plunked Teel and Vargas added another RBI single, the champagne was probably on ice in the clubhouse.
asserted
champagne → plunk → clubhouse
The White Sox improved to 82-77, a record number of wins for a club coming off three straight 100-loss years.
asserted
Sox → improve → years
They head home having won four of their last five with their first playoff appearance since 2021 in their pocket and a division title still in their sights.
asserted
They → head → sights
PIRATES 2, CARDINALS 1
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Ronny Simon raced home on Spencer Horwitz’s eighth inning sacrifice fly and Pittsburgh assured themselves of the club’s first non-losing season in eight years with a win over St. Louis.
asserted
Pittsburgh → race → Louis
Simon reached on a walk by Ryne Stanek (2-3), advanced to second on a wild pitch and scooted to third when the throw from catcher Ivan Herrera skipped into center field for an error.
asserted
throw → reach → error
Horwitz’s flyball to center was plenty deep enough for Simon to score.
asserted
Simon → score → center
Luke Weaver (4-1) got the final out of the eighth for Pittsburgh.
asserted
Weaver → get → Pittsburgh
Mason Montgomery struck out the side in the ninth for his 17th save in 19 chances as Pittsburgh improved to 81-78 with three games to go.
asserted
Pittsburgh → strike → games
The club’s previous non-losing season came in 2018 when it won 82 games.
asserted
it → come → games
Reigning NL Cy Young Award winner Paul Skenes ended an uneven year by his standards with 6 1/3 excellent innings in his 32nd and final start.
asserted
Skenes → reign → start
The 24-year-old, whose performance this year has been met with mild criticism locally, allowed one run, three hits and two walks and six strikeouts.
asserted
performance → meet → run
He received a loud ovation when he was removed by manager Don Kelly after recording his 200th strikeout of the season when Cardinals designated hitter Leo Bernal was caught looking leading off the seventh.
asserted
Bernal → receive → seventh
Skenes became just the second pitcher in the franchise’s 145-year history to reach 200 strikeouts in consecutive seasons.
asserted
Skenes → become → seasons
He finished 10-11 with a 3.82 ERA, nearly double the MLB-leading 1.97 ERA he posted in 2025.
asserted
he → finish → 2025
St. Louis fell to 77-82, assured of consecutive losing seasons for the first time since the shortened 1994 and 1995 seasons.
asserted
Louis → fall → seasons
RANGERS 3, METS 1
ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Josh Jung and Corey Seager homered, Kumar Rocker pitched five solid innings and Texas closed out its home schedule with a win over New York that ensured that the Rangers would remain at least tied for the AL West lead heading into the regular season’s final weekend.
Texas (79-80) stopped a three-game losing streak and moved a half-game ahead of Houston, which played Thursday night at the Athletics.
asserted
which → homer → Athletics
The Astros (78-80) hold the head-to-head tiebreaker with the Rangers.
asserted
Astros → hold → Rangers
Texas, which finishes the regular season with three games in Minnesota, went ahead to stay on Jung’s two-run homer in the first inning off rookie left-hander Zac Thornton (5-6).
asserted
which → finish → Thornton
Seager snapped an 0-for-15 skid when he led off the sixth with his 19th homer.
Rocker (6-11) struck out four while allowing one run and three hits.
asserted
Rocker → snap → run
Jordan Montgomery, the fourth Rangers reliever, worked a perfect ninth for his second big league save.
asserted
Montgomery → work → save
He’s made 161 starts and 17 relief appearances over nine big league seasons.
asserted
He → make → seasons
Francisco Lindor led off the game with a double and scored on Carson Benge’s two-out single to put New York up 1-0.
asserted
Lindor → lead → York
Benge has a Mets rookie record 160 hits.
asserted
Benge → have → record
Thornton struck out four and walked one in his five innings.
asserted
Thornton → strike → innings
He allowed four hits and the only runs he surrendered were on Jung’s 12th homer.
asserted
he → allow → homer
…and 58 more, not listed.
The Aporia
