White Sox lose 9-6 to Rockies, end chances of winning AL Central

The Chicago White Sox's hopes of clinching the AL Central title were extinguished on Saturday night when Hunter Goodman contributed two home runs, propelling the Colorado Rockies to a 9-6 victory. The White Sox required a win to maintain a position within the division race, as the Cleveland Guardians had already solidified a two-game lead on the final day of the season.

Chicago is slated to conclude the season as the final wild card entry, facing off against the AL West winner in a three-game series commencing on Tuesday. The battle for the Western Conference crown between the Texas Rangers and Houston Astros will hinge on the final day of the regular season. Chicago marked its return to the playoffs for the first time since consecutive 100-loss seasons.

The Rockies secured their win in their fourth game of 21, improving to a league-record 58-103 following their 119 losses last season. The White Sox had been at the top of the AL Central from July 4 until September 16. Ryan Feltner (7-10) surrendered three hits over 3 2/3 innings of relief for Colorado. The Rockies took an early lead with three runs in the first inning.

Davis Martin (9-8) made an error in the field, leading to three singles, a walk, and two earned runs while only recording two outs. Goodman hit his 40th and 41st home runs in the third inning, becoming the first Rockies player to achieve such a milestone since Nolan Arenado in 2019. Ezequiel Tovar added his 13th home run in the fourth inning, extending the Rockies' lead to 5-2.

Goodman then delivered a three-run homer in the ninth inning to help the Rockies extend their lead. Andrew Benintendi contributed a three-run homer in the ninth inning for Chicago. Brenton Doyle and Luisangel Acuña also hit home runs. The White Sox had a chance to close the gap in the sixth inning, when runners were placed at the corners, but Ryan Feltner struck out pinch hitter Colson Montgomery, putting an end to the inning.

Montgomery extended the season record for strikeouts to 225. The White Sox's starting pitcher for Sunday's regular season finale will be LHP Anthony Kay (9-9, 4.53 ERA), while Colorado will be represented by LHP Kyle Freeland (4-11, 6.58).