Benintendi Helps White Sox Clinch Playoffs

Andrew Benintendi and the Chicago White Sox clinched their first playoff berth since 2021 with a 9-1 rout of the Kansas City Royals on Thursday at Kauffman Stadium, becoming the first club in major league history to reach October after consecutive 100-loss seasons, the Associated Press reported. Benintendi added a sacrifice fly in a three-run first as Chicago jumped on early Royals mistakes and never looked back.

That clinch stamp is the board. Soft fantasy note only: a wild-card lock does not invent October counting lines. Ride the champagne window, then reassess how the AL Central race reshapes roles.

Kyle Teel homered and reached base five times. David Sandlin allowed one run over six innings with a career-high seven strikeouts against the club that drafted him. Miguel Vargas drove in runs. Sam Antonacci scored three times. Salvador Perez's solo homer made it 8-1 in the fourth and was the only real Royals punch.

The White Sox improved to 82-77, a record win total for a team coming off three straight 100-loss years. They began the day one game behind Cleveland in the AL Central and pulled within a half-game after the rout, per the Sun-Times. Baltimore was mathematically eliminated. Soft fantasy note only: treat Benintendi as a lineup staple through the Rockies series, not as a free October projection.

White Sox fans waited through 121-loss pain and two more 100-loss winters for this plastic-wrap clubhouse. Benintendi told the Sun-Times before the game he had not popped bottles in a while and hoped the club could pop twice if the division follows. Soft fantasy note only: the division still needs wins, not vibes.

Royals fans close another lost September. Randy Dobnak allowed six runs (four earned) while retiring just four batters and committing two errors that gifted Chicago early runs. The visitors head home for three against Colorado with Sean Burke lined up Friday.

Chicago gets October baseball again. The history line is loud because no other club has ever done this after back-to-back 100-loss seasons. Soft fantasy note only: start the names who earned the clinch until the Wild Card roster is posted.

White Sox board

White Sox 9-1 at Royals. Clinched AL wild-card berth (first playoff trip since 2021).

Benintendi: sac fly in three-run first. Teel: HR, reached base five times. Sandlin: 6 IP, 1 R, 7 K.

Next: Rockies at Guaranteed Rate, Burke Friday. Division race still live vs Guardians.

Fan closer

Believe the clinch and the history stamp, then watch how Cleveland finishes before you spend October on one bracket script.