Divine intervention? White Sox take series lead after defeating Astros in Houston

[p]A social media post by the [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/chicago-white-sox/SW9D1eZo/"]White Sox[/a] showed an inspirational letter received Tuesday from the leader of the world's 1.4 billion Catholics.[/p][p][b]"I willingly invoke the Almighty's abundant blessings upon you and your loved ones," [/b]the pope wrote to White Sox owner Jerry Reinsdorf.[/p][p]Divine intervention or not, [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/baseball/chicago-white-sox-SW9D1eZo/houston-astros-lfZXonNq/?mid=8hNcryE5"]the White Sox dominated to seize a 1-0 lead[/a] over the host [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/houston-astros/lfZXonNq/"]Astros[/a] in the best-of-three American League wildcard series, with the winner to face [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/cleveland-guardians/4K05MrFG/"]Cleveland[/a] in the divisional round.[/p][embed guid="72f1cb2f-fdc2-40c3-b34f-2f02693314ae" url="https://x.com/whitesox/status/2105109146244657530" social-type="twitter" /][p]At Houston, the White Sox took the lead in the first inning when [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/antonacci-samuel/pEaDFk7U/"]Sam Antonacci[/a] walked, reached third on an error by Astros first baseman [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/walker-christian/bDtjStvD/"]Christian Walker[/a] and scored on [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/murakami-munetaka/Um3qc5aF/"]Munetaka Murakami[/a]'s sacrifice fly.[/p][p]Astros starting pitcher [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/blubaugh-alan-joseph/rHkwlfV0/"]A.J. Blubaugh[/a] was replaced by [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/king-bryan/06R20Aep/"]Bryan King[/a] after 2/3 of an inning, and the White Sox took advantage.[/p][p]Chicago's [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/montgomery-braden/QDpVV4a4/"]Braden Montgomery[/a] and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/meidroth-chase/4dwivX3o/"]Chase Meidroth[/a] singled to open the second inning; [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/montgomery-colson/rPq2s8dk/"]Colson Montgomery[/a] was hit by a pitch to load the bases, and Antonacci followed with a two-run single to left for a 3-0 lead.[/p][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/teel-kyle/va7rtFj6/"]Kyle Teel[/a] singled to reload the bases, and King was lifted for [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/ullola-miguel/CdXjqXJE/"]Miguel Ullola[/a], who got three outs without allowing another run.[/p][embed guid="0d54dd85-4ce5-4e35-ab58-58fe65971bfd" url="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s1V2O_5eSf0" social-type="youtube" /][p]Colson Montgomery's solo homer in the fourth gave Chicago a 4-0 lead, and Meidroth's bases-loaded single in the fifth made it 5-0.[/p][p]Houston's [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/velazquez-nelson/OhkLTOFq/"]Nelson Velazquez[/a] smacked a two-run homer in the fifth.[/p][p]The Astros' [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/sousa-bennett/6ab5dCg5/"]Bennett Sousa[/a] allowed a Sox run on a wild pitch in the seventh, but an error by Chicago third baseman [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/vargas-miguel/KWk2Y3Hq/"]Miguel Vargas[/a] in the eighth allowed a run for Houston to create the final margin.[/p][p]The Astros, 5-2 against the White Sox this year, qualified for the playoffs on the season's last day and, at 81-81, had the worst record of any postseason team in history.[/p][infobox id="3e982646-21d3-4baf-ac34-10f731dff476" /]