• Meidroth’s three-run homer seals Chicago’s sweep

• Yankees rout Red Sox 9-2 and will face Rays

• Padres eliminate Cubs to set up Brewers showdown

The Chicago White Sox used a big first inning and a three-run homer from Chase Meidroth to propel them to a 7-3 win over the Houston Astros on Wednesday and sweep their American League wildcard series.

It’s the first time Chicago have won a playoff series since beating Houston in the World Series in 2005. Under the direction of second-year skipper Will Venable and with a letter of support from Pope Leo XIV, the White Sox advanced to face AL Central champion Cleveland in the AL Division Series beginning Saturday in Cleveland.

• Houston announce crowd of 34,011 for playoff opener

• Players criticize boos during 6-3 defeat by White Sox

• Astros are first division winner with .500 or worse mark

The crowd at Daikin Park was surprisingly sparse as the Houston Astros – baseball’s first division winner with a .500 or worse record – opened their AL wildcard series with a 6-3 loss to the Chicago White Sox on Tuesday.

Large swaths of seats, especially in the upper deck, sat empty while right-hander AJ Blumbaugh delivered the game’s first pitch at 4.10pm. The bottom two levels were much fuller than the upper deck, but many seats in the lower two decks were also empty.