Houston Astros vs. Chicago White Sox: Live updates, analysis, highlights, how to watch Game 2

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Houston Astros Nick Allen fields ground ball at third base before Game 2 of an American League Wild Card Series in Houston, Wednesday, Sept. 30, 2026. (Jason Fochtman/Houston Chronicle)

The Houston Astros are in another must-win situation.

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The Astros are facing playoff elimination in Game 2 of the American League wild-card series after losing Tuesday's opener.

Wednesday's first pitch is at 4:10 p.m., with Hunter Brown starting for the Astros against the White Sox's Sean Burke. Our staff at Daikin Park will have updates throughout the day as Houston looks to force a decisive Game 3.

End of 3rd: White Sox 4, Astros 2

Sean Burke strikes out the side against the top of the Astros' order in the third inning as Houston's deficit stays at two runs. - Greg Rajan

Mattress Mack makes a deal

We caught Jim "Mattress Mack" McIngvale at a bad time. We talked to him about his deal with noted White Sox fan Pope Leo XIV just as the White Sox were piling up four runs in the first inning. McIngvale says he'll send all 190 students and teachers from a Chicago Catholic school to a future White Sox game if the Astros don't came back to win this series. If the Astros do win, he's asking for an autographed Astros jersey from Pope Leo XIV. "It's kind of sad right now," McIngvale said in the first inning. - Matt Young

Another 1-2-3 inning

Peter Lambert sets the White Sox down in order in the third. Astros pitching seems have stabilized since the horrendous first inning. - Greg Rajan

Peter Lambert in

Peter Lambert is in to start the third. Tough to gauge how much Houston can ask from him. He's on two days' rest. But he threw just 41 pitches Sunday. But that was on two days' rest from throwing 62 pitches Thursday. - Matt Kawahara

White Sox 4, Astros 2

Cam Smith's first postseason homer, a two-out solo shot 440 feet to the train tracks in left field, draws the Astros a run closer in the second inning. - Greg Rajan

Restoring order?

AJ Blubaugh works a 1-2-3 second inning, which the Astros needed like humans need oxygen. - Greg Rajan

Peter Lambert up

Peter Lambert, the Astros' most reliable starter this season, is warming up in the second inning. - Greg Rajan

End of 1st: White Sox 4, Astros 1

The Astros get a couple of hits in the first, but the damage is limited to Jeremy Peña's leadoff homer. - Greg Rajan

White Sox 4, Astros 1

Jeremy Peña gives the crowd something to actually cheer about with a leadoff homer to left-center field. A small step, but something the Astros badly needed. - Greg Rajan

Available arms

Both Peter Lambert and Hayden Wesneski, whom the Astros hope to start in Game 3 on regular rest, are likely available today. One or both could factor in after Houston used eight relievers in a bullpen game in Game 1. AJ Blubaugh, who opened yesterday, is already back in the game. - Matt Kawahara

Top of first mercifully over

AJ Blubaugh comes in and gets the final out of the first inning. Hunter Brown gave up four runs, three earned, and five hits in two-thirds of an inning. - Greg Rajan

Hunter Brown done

After walking the No. 9 hitter to load the bases with two outs, Hunter Brown has been lifted after 36 pitches. AJ Blubaugh, who started Game 1, is coming in. Suffice it to say, this has been an absolute disaster of a first inning for the Astros. - Greg Rajan

Seven batters in…

The White Sox already have five hits and the Astros have made two costly errors that led to runs. Hunter Brown has recorded one out. - Greg Rajan

White Sox 4, Astros 0

Things promptly went from bad to worse for the Astros. Andrew Benintendi's single to shallow center scored a second run, and then a throwing error by Lucas Spence allowed a third run to score in the first inning off Hunter Brown. Tristan Peters followed with his own RBI single and it's now 4-0. - Greg Rajan

White Sox 1, Astros 0

Hunter Brown allowed two runs in 13 innings across two starts against the White Sox during the season. Five pitches into this game, the Astros trail 1-0. Sam Antonacci's leadoff double glanced off the glove of Yordan Alvarez, whose defensive range is the tradeoff of playing him in left field and opening the DH spot. - Matt Kawahara

Where are the fans?

It looks like this will be another Astros game with sparse attendance in the corners of the upper deck. Here was the wild-card series attendance for all four Game 1s on Tuesday:

New York: 48,437
San Diego: 47,084
Houston: 34,011
Atlanta: 30,127

- Matt Young

Bun B with the pitch

Bun B, who teamed up with Pimp C to form UGK, threw out the ceremonial first pitch, but he bounced it. - Matt Young

Astros' lineup for Game 2

Isaac Paredes is in the Game 2 lineup for the Astros, but at designated hitter rather than third base. Yordan Alvarez will play left field. But the Astros' likely hope was that would free the DH spot for Jose Altuve, allowing Nick Allen to play second base. Allen will play third instead, with Altuve at second. Paredes fouled a ball off his left knee last weekend against the A's. He said on the off-day Monday the knee was "very sore" Sunday but felt "great" going into Game 1.

SS Jeremy Peña
LF Yordan Alvarez
DH Isaac Paredes
2B Jose Altuve
C Yainer Diaz
1B Christian Walker
CF Lucas Spence
RF Cam Smith
3B Nick Allen
P Hunter Brown

No lineup yet for Astros

Some 90 minutes before first pitch, the Astros still have not released their Game 2 lineup. Third baseman Isaac Paredes, who has been dealing with left knee soreness from a foul ball, just spent a few minutes on the field doing warmup exercises with a member of the training staff observing. Joe Espada said earlier the Astros were waiting on the status of a player before setting the lineup. - Matt Kawahara

Daulton Varsho's season over

Center fielder Daulton Varsho, the Astros' lone trade deadline addition who finished the season on the injured list, had arthroscopic surgery on his left wrist Tuesday and will not return this year, according to the team.

Varsho said last week that cysts in his wrist were causing inflammation and pain that impacted his ability to swing a bat. He said he had dealt with the issue for "three months," predating when Houston acquired him from the Blue Jays at the trade deadline.

Since Varsho was on the 10-day IL, he would have been eligible to return for later postseason rounds, if the Astros advance. But that's ruled out now. Varsho will be a free agent this offseason. - Matt Kawahara

Yordan Alvarez in left field?

There's still no Astros lineup after manager Joe Espada said he was "waiting on a player." Notably, Yordan Alvarez was taking pregame fly balls in left field. Hunter Brown is a heavy ground ball pitcher, and if the Astros want to maximize their infield defense behind him, they could play Alvarez in left field, start Jose Altuve at DH and play Nick Allen at second base. - Matt Kawahara

White Sox potential Game 3 starter

White Sox manager Will Venable says he has "no idea" who would start for him in a potential Game 3, although it could be a bullpen game. Venable said he's totally focused on winning Game 2 and closing out the series and will make his pitching decisions with that in mind. The Astros likely would go with Hayden Wesneski in Game 3, assuming he isn't needed Wednesday. - Matt Young

White Sox check out train

The White Sox are loose as they get ready for Game 2 with a 1-0 series lead. How loose? A group of players ventured out onto the concourse and into left field to get an up close look at the Daikin Park train. "We let them be themselves and that's something I feel like we've done a really good job with," White Sox manager Will Venable said about his players' approach. - Matt Young

Hunter Brown, Yainer Diaz connection

Yainer Diaz is Hunter Brown's primary catcher, as will be the case in Game 2. The Astros catcher talked before Wednesday's game about his connection with Brown. "I think it's a beautiful relationship," Diaz said. "I think it's a relationship based on trust and good communication. We both trust in each other's plans. I trust in his plan and he trusts in my plan. So it's based on communication and I think it's grown a lot over our short two-year career." - Matt Young

Starting lineups

Astros manager Joe Espada said he was still working on his lineup for Game 2, but the White Sox have put theirs out. It will be the same as Game 1 except for Chase Meidroth moving up one spot in the order from No. 8 to No. 7 ahead of Braden Montgomery.

LF Sam Antonacci
C Kyle Teel
3B Miguel Vargas
1B Munetaka Murakami
DH Andrew Benintendi
CF Tristan Peters
2B Chase Meidroth
RF Braden Montgomery
SS Colson Montgomery
SP Sean Burke

Hearing the boos

Boos from the home crowd were obvious during Tuesday's Game 1 loss, especially when Astros starter A.J. Blubaugh had trouble throwing strikes and the White Sox jumped out to a 3-0 lead. Joe Espada acknowledged he heard the boos and said he spoke with his team about it. "The way I see it, I understand both sides," the Astros manager said hours before Game 2. "There's frustration. Our players and the fans have the right to also show their emotions, and I get it. But one thing I do know is that our players love our fans. We respect our fans. We need our fans. We need the energy from our fans. We feed off that. We're going to move on, but I do want our fans to know that we love them and we need them. They're part of what we are trying to accomplish here. They're part of our family." - Matt Young

It's been a while

The Astros haven't won a playoff game when facing elimination in nearly five years, going back to Game 5 of the 2021 World Series in Atlanta. Since then, they're 0-3 in such situations, all at home. The losses were in Game 6 of the 2021 World Series, Game 7 of the 2023 ALCS against the Rangers and Game 2 of the 2024 AL wild-card round against the Tigers. - Greg Rajan

How to watch

Game 2 of the Astros-White Sox series is again on NBCSN, a cable channel with limited carriage. Here's how to find it. - Greg Rajan

Confident in Hunter Brown

The Astros' top starter gets the ball in a must-win Game 2 and Houston is confident with Hunter Brown on the mound. - Matt Young 

Game 1 coverage

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This article originally published at Houston Astros vs. Chicago White Sox: Live updates, analysis, highlights, how to watch Game 2.

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