White Sox Clinch First Playoff Series Win in 21 Years, Advance to ALDS
Chicago White Sox secure a postseason series victory for the first time since 2005, setting up a divisional showdown with the Cleveland Guardians.
The Chicago White Sox have ended a 21-year drought, securing their first postseason series victory since 2005. The team will now advance to the 2026 American League Division Series (ALDS) to face the Cleveland Guardians.
The ALDS matchup between the White Sox and Guardians, both AL Central rivals, is scheduled to begin on Saturday, Oct. 3, at Cleveland's Progressive Field. The Guardians are expected to start Parker Messick (12-9, 2.56 ERA), while the White Sox have yet to announce their starting pitcher, though Davis Martin is considered a likely candidate.
The series will feature games at both Cleveland's Progressive Field and Chicago's Rate Field. The schedule for the hypothetical games at Rate Field is as follows:
- Game 3: Wednesday, Oct. 7
- Game 4: Thursday, Oct. 8
Tickets for these ALDS games are now available. As of publication, the lowest prices for seats at Rate Field were $156 including fees for Game 4 and $254 including fees for Game 3, according to Vivid Seats. Tickets for the games at Progressive Field start at $96 including fees for a potential Game 5.
Chicago manager Will Venable expressed his team's determination, stating, "I can tell you right now that the group isn’t satisfied with this." The White Sox won seven of their 13 matchups against the Guardians during the 2026 regular season. Despite this, oddsmakers project Cleveland as the favorite to win the ALDS, with odds set at -145.
Fans looking to attend the playoff games can find ticket information for all potential White Sox home games at Rate Field and Guardians home games at Progressive Field. Additionally, tickets for future rounds, including the ALCS and World Series, are available.
For those unable to attend in person, White Sox playoff games will be broadcast on ESPN and available through providers such as DIRECTV.