One Big Adjustment the White Sox Must Make Before Game 2

The Chicago White Sox have a chance to advance this afternoon in Houston.

Sep 29, 2026; Houston, Texas, USA; Chicago White Sox outfielder Sam Antonacci (17) hits a single during the second inning against the Houston Astros during game one of the Wildcard round for the 2026 MLB Playoffs at Daikin Park. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The White Sox playing their first playoff game in five years and getting a 6-3 win over the Houston Astros is a memory the fan base will cherish. Regardless of how this Wild Card series turns out, this iteration of the team will always have that.

Since the current version of the Wild Card round began in 2022, 15 of the 16 teams that have won Game 1 have gone on to advance to the LDS. Last year's Boston Red Sox were the first team to be eliminated after taking Game 1.

If the Sox want to avoid joining that dubious club, they have two games to figure out how to improve their timely hitting. Yes, they went 4 for 11 with runners in scoring position for a .363 batting average in that situation, but they also left nine men on base. Fortunately, the Astros were far worse, going 0 for 7 in that situation.

White Sox Have to Capitalize with RISP

Sep 29, 2026; Houston, Texas, USA; Chicago White Sox pitcher Grant Taylor (31) reacts with Chicago catcher Kyle Teel (8) after game one of the Wildcard round for the 2026 MLB Playoffs at Daikin Park. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

During the regular season, the White Sox couldn't have done better in staying out of double plays. The 73 they hit into were by far the fewest in baseball with the Cincinnati Reds hitting into the second-fewest at 87. That's what you want to see from a young team that has surprised everybody.

However, the Sox hit into three double plays during this win. They only hit into that many twice in the regular season: April 9 and 18, both of which happening before the season flipped in the right direction. They definitely don't want to regress to that early-season form that largely was forgettable save for a few individual highlights.

Had the Sox blown the game open earlier, the last two innings with the Astros threatening wouldn't have felt so stressful. Maybe Grant Taylor doesn't need to throw a career-high 54 pitches and thus becoming unavailable for Game 2. Maybe Will Venable can afford to put one or two low-leverage relievers into the game instead of needing all high-leverage relievers to get to the finish line.

These may not be the intimidating Astros of the recent past, but they still have several players who have been through the postseason pressure many times and have shown they can respond to adversity. If the Sox are counting on their bats to fail to come through for a second straight game, they're living dangerously.

The Sox have the Astros right where they want them. Now, they need to put them away as quickly as possible. That won't happen if the clutch hitting doesn't show up enough.