For the first time since 2008, the Chicago White Sox have made the playoffs after coming back to beat the Minnesota Twins 4-3.
Dominican Eloy Jiménez broke the equality with a double that capped a two-touchdown offense in the seventh inning.
After pocketing the ticket, the White Sox celebrated just discreetly on the field. They consider that they have greater achievements to achieve.
“We said we were going to save the celebration for when we win the division,” Jiménez said. “We have 10 games left and we have to keep playing hard.”
Chicago (33-17) stretched its lead over the Twins (31-21) to three games in the AL Central. The White Sox are guaranteed at least one wild-card spot to the postseason.
Cuban José Abreu hit a home run and drove in two runs, while Dominican Ewin Encarnacion added another home run to the cause of Chicago, which won three of the four games in the series.
Chicago trailed 3-2 in the seventh inning when Abreu, the major league leader with 51 RBIs, reached on a slow groundout to shortstop. That infield hit pushed Jarrod Dyson from the anteroom.
Jiménez, who had struck out in his previous three at-bats, followed up with a double that drove in Venezuelan pinch-runner Yolmer Sánchez.
Byron Buxton hit two homers, accumulating seven in his last nine games and 12 of the season. Josh Donaldson also hit a home run for Minnesota, whose home run in the first round of the playoffs was reduced to a game and a half over the New York Yankees.
Codi Heuer (3-0) took the victory by allowing no run in one and two-thirds innings. Alex Colomé got four outs for his twelfth save in 13 chances. Tyler Clippard (1-1) allowed two runs in two-thirds of an inning. (GG) (Taken from MLB.COM).