Chicago baseball is officially headed to October on both sides of town. The Chicago White Sox and Chicago Cubs clinched postseason berths within minutes of each other on Thursday, September 24, creating one of the rarest shared celebrations in the city’s baseball history.
The White Sox punched their ticket with a commanding 9–1 road win over the Kansas City Royals. Soon after, the Cubs finished a 2–1 victory over the Miami Marlins at Wrigley Field to secure a National League Wild Card berth.
A historic night for Chicago baseball
This is only the fourth season in which both Chicago teams have reached the postseason. The previous years were 1906, when the White Sox defeated the Cubs in the only all-Chicago World Series, 2008, and the pandemic-shortened 2020 season. It is just the third time the North Side and South Side have both advanced during a full major-league season.
The timing made Thursday even more memorable. The two clinchers came only minutes apart, turning an ordinary late-September night into a citywide October baseball celebration.
White Sox complete a remarkable turnaround
Chicago’s South Side team left little doubt in Kansas City. Miguel Vargas drove in two early runs, Andrew Benintendi and Tristan Peters added run-producing at-bats, and Kyle Teel launched a solo home run as the White Sox built a commanding lead. David Sandlin earned the win, and the pitching staff held the Royals to one run on seven hits.
The victory moved the White Sox to 82–77 and secured their first postseason appearance since 2021. It also completed a turnaround without precedent in Major League Baseball: the White Sox became the first team to reach the playoffs immediately after consecutive 100-loss seasons.
Their work is not finished. As of Thursday night, the White Sox remained only a half-game behind the Cleveland Guardians in the American League Central, leaving the division title and final playoff seeding in play during the last weekend of the regular season.
Cubs win a tight one at Wrigley Field
On the North Side, the Cubs had to come from behind. Miami scored first in the third inning, but Seiya Suzuki tied the game with his 26th home run of the season in the fifth. One inning later, Ian Happ tripled and Nico Hoerner delivered the go-ahead RBI single.
Matthew Boyd earned his 10th win, and Ryan Zeferjahn recorded the save as the Cubs protected the 2–1 lead. The victory improved Chicago to 88–71 and guaranteed a Wild Card spot, giving the franchise consecutive postseason appearances for the first time since its four-year run from 2015 through 2018.
The clinching game also included a franchise milestone. Pete Crow-Armstrong became the first player in Cubs history—and only the seventh player in MLB history—to record 40 home runs and 40 stolen bases in the same season.
What comes next
Both teams still have three regular-season games remaining, and the exact postseason matchups are not final. The White Sox return home to face the Colorado Rockies, while the Cubs travel to Boston for a series against the Red Sox. The Wild Card Series begins Tuesday, September 29.
Chicago’s baseball rivalry will not disappear in October, but for one night the city shared the same headline: North Side. South Side. Playoffs.
Sources: MLB game results, MLB playoff picture, and Chicago Sun-Times historical context.
