The Chicago White Sox, on Thursday, became the first team ever to rebound from consecutive 100-loss seasons by clinching a playoff berth, overwhelming the Kansas City Royals 9-1 to guarantee themselves no worse than one of the three American League wild-card slots for the postseason.

They might yet wrest the AL Central as well.

As the day commenced, the White Sox found themselves but a solitary game in the Cleveland Guardians' wake.

Chicago retains three home fixtures against the last-place Colorado Rockies, whereas the Guardians, having concluded their series in Boston on Thursday night, will fly to Kansas City, where — coincidentally — they likewise have three remaining against the Royals.

The White Sox victory mathematically eliminated Baltimore from postseason contention.

Kyle Teel homered and reached base five times, while five different White Sox drove in runs.

David Sandlin (3-2) yielded one run on five hits across six innings against the very club that had drafted him out of Oklahoma four years prior.

Randy Dobnak (3-5) surrendered six runs — four of them earned — for Kansas City, while also committing two errors in the course of retiring a mere four batters.

Salvador Perez homered for the Royals, thereby attaining the 20-home-run threshold in a season for a club-record 10th occasion.

The opening pair of innings epitomized precisely what the White Sox have executed with consummate mastery throughout this season: the ruthless exploitation of their opponents' miscues.

Sam Antonacci inaugurated the game's scoring with a single; Teel reached base on a bunt when Dobnak's throw sailed wide of first base, and Miguel Vargas promptly followed with an RBI single.

Andrew Benintendi contributed a sacrifice fly and, after Vargas stole second to advance into scoring position, Tristan Peters drove him home with yet another single, extending the lead to 3-0.

Further shenanigans transpired in the second: Braden Montgomery led off with a single, Dobnak issued a walk to Antonacci, and the right-hander then threw to no one covering first base, committing his second error of the contest.

That miscue permitted Montgomery to trot home unimpeded from second.

By the time Dobnak had plunked Teel and Vargas had added yet another RBI single, the champagne was, in all likelihood, already on ice in the clubhouse.

The White Sox ascended to 82-77, a franchise-record victory tally for a club emerging from three consecutive 100-loss campaigns.

They return home having triumphed in four of their last five, with their first postseason berth since 2021 already secured and a division crown still within their grasp.

The White Sox conclude their regular-season campaign against the Rockies, with RHP Sean Burke (10-7, 3.40 ERA) taking the mound Friday night.

The Royals shall play host to the Guardians on Friday night, with LHP Noah Cameron (9-8, 3.92) poised to take the mound.

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