DIVINE INTERVENTION

NEW YORK (AFP) — Pope Leo XIV sent support to his hometown Chicago White Sox ahead of their Major League Baseball (MLB) playoff victory on Tuesday while Atlanta’s Austin Riley delivered a triumph with a three-run homer.

MLB playoff openers saw the White Sox, of whom the pope is a lifelong fan, defeat Houston, 6-3, and Riley’s homer in the eighth inning giving the host Braves a 5-3 victory over Philadelphia.

The White Sox posted on social media an inspirational letter received Tuesday from the leader of the world’s 1.4 billion Catholics.

“I willingly invoke the Almighty’s abundant blessings upon you and your loved ones,” the pope wrote to White Sox owner Jerry Reinsdorf.

Divine intervention or not, the White Sox dominated to seize a 1-0 lead over the host Astros in the best-of-three American League (AL) wildcard series, with the winner to face Cleveland in the divisional round.

The Braves took a 1-0 lead in their National League (NL) wildcard series, with the winner to face the reigning World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers starting Saturday.

Trailing 3-2, Atlanta won after Michael Harris singled, took second base after Ozzie Albies was hit by a pitch ahead of Riley smashing a home run to right field off Phillies relief pitcher Jhoan Duran.

“He left something over the plate and I got a good swing at it,” Riley said. “It means a lot. I’ve been grinding for these guys and the city all year.”

“To finally come up big for them was huge. It’s not over yet but a nice start for sure.”

Wildcard series openers later find Boston at the New York Yankees in the AL and the Chicago Cubs at San Diego in the NL.

In Houston, the White Sox took the lead in the first inning when Sam Antonacci walked, reached third on an error by Astros first baseman Christian Walker and scored on Munetaka Murakami’s sacrifice fly.

Astros starting pitcher A.J. Blubaugh was replaced by Bryan King after 2/3 of an inning and the White Sox took advantage.

Chicago’s Braden Montgomery and Chase Meidroth singled to open the second inning, Colson Montgomery was hit by a pitch to load the bases and Antonacci followed with a two-run single to left for a 3-0 lead.

Kyle Teel singled to reload the bases and King was lifted for Miguel Ullola, who got three outs without allowing another run.

Colson Montgomery’s solo homer in the fourth gave Chicago a 4-0 lead and Meidroth’s bases-loaded single in the fifth made it 5-0.

Houston’s Nelson Velazquez smacked a two-run homer in the fifth.

The Astros’ Bennett Sousa allowed a Sox run on a wild pitch in the seventh but an error by Chicago third baseman Miguel Vargas in the eighth allowed a run for Houston to create the final margin.

The Astros, 5-2 against the White Sox this year, qualified for the playoffs on the season’s last day and at 81-81 had the worst record of any post-season team in history.

Atlanta went 9-4 against the Phillies in the regular season and won the NL East division by six games over Philadelphia.

Kyle Schwarber walked and raced home on Alec Bohm’s double in the first inning to lift Philadelphia ahead, but Atlanta equalized in the second when Albies walked, took third on a fielder’s choice and scored on Mike Yastrzemski’s single.

Atlanta grabbed the lead in the sixth when Harris singled and scored on an Albies triple but a two-run triple to right field by J.T. Realmuto in the seventh gave the Phillies a 3-2 edge — setting the stage for Riley’s game-winning blast.