BALTIMORE (AP) — Jackson Holliday hit his first career leadoff home run, Jorge Mateo slugged his first homer of the season and the Baltimore Orioles defeated the Chicago White Sox 4-2 on Saturday.
Dean Kremer (5-5) allowed one run in six innings to win his second consecutive start for Baltimore, which has won five of seven for the first time this season. The Orioles clinched their third home series victory of the season and their first since taking two of three from the New York Yankees on April 28-30.
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Chicago White Sox starting pitcher Davis Martin throws during the second inning of a baseball game against the Baltimore Orioles, Saturday, May 31, 2025, in Baltimore. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)
Baltimore Orioles' Coby Mayo (16) is caught in a rundown by Chicago White Sox first baseman Miguel Vargas (20) and second baseman Lenyn Sosa (50) during the fourth inning of a baseball game, Saturday, May 31, 2025, in Baltimore. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)
Baltimore Orioles starting pitcher Dean Kremer throws during the first inning of a baseball game against the Chicago White Sox, Saturday, May 31, 2025, in Baltimore. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)
Baltimore Orioles' Jorge Mateo celebrates after his two-run home run during the fifth inning of a baseball game against the Chicago White Sox, Saturday, May 31, 2025, in Baltimore. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)
Baltimore Orioles' Jackson Holliday, center, wears a hat and drinks out of the "homer hose" as he celebrates his home run during the first inning of a baseball game against the Chicago White Sox, Saturday, May 31, 2025, in Baltimore. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)
Félix Bautista earned his 10th save in 11 tries with a scoreless ninth.
The White Sox (18-40) fell to 6-25 on the road and are a season-high 22 games under .500.
After yielding Holliday’s home run in the first, Chicago starter Davis Martin (2-6) didn’t allow a hit until Ryan O’Hearn’s one-double in the fourth. O’Hearn came around two batters later on Coby Mayo’s RBI single — his first in the majors. And it cleared both benches.
Mayo, who was called up earlier Saturday, rounded first base and got caught in a rundown. Second baseman Lenyn Sosa tossed to first baseman Miguel Vargas and Mayo collided with Sosa — appearing to try to draw an interference call — and fell as he was heading to second. Vargas tagged Mayo out, but Sosa took exception to Mayo's shove.
The two were talking when Mayo picked up his helmet from the ground and then pushed Sosa in the left shoulder as he was walking away. That sent players from both teams onto the field, where there was a little pushing and shoving before order was quickly restored without incident.
In the fifth, Mateo followed Dylan Carlson’s one-out double by lofting a fly over the fence in center for his first homer since last June 21.
Andrew Benintendi hit an RBI single in the fifth off Kremer and Mike Tauchman drove in the White Sox’s other run with a single off Yennier Cano in the seventh.
Kremer allowed six hits and struck out seven. He improved to 2-0 with a 1.02 ERA in three career starts against the White Sox.
Martin gave up four runs in six innings. He struck out six.
Bautista struck out Luis Robert Jr. and Austin Slater to escape a two-on, one-out jam in the ninth.
Bautista earned saves on consecutive days for the first time since July 22-23, 2023. The right-hander missed all of last season after undergoing Tommy John surgery in October 2023.
Chicago RHP Adrian Houser (1-0, 0.00 ERA), who has thrown 12 scoreless innings since signing with the White Sox on May 20, starts the series finale against Baltimore RHP Charlie Morton (1-7, 7.09).
AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb
Chicago White Sox starting pitcher Davis Martin throws during the second inning of a baseball game against the Baltimore Orioles, Saturday, May 31, 2025, in Baltimore. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)
Baltimore Orioles' Coby Mayo (16) is caught in a rundown by Chicago White Sox first baseman Miguel Vargas (20) and second baseman Lenyn Sosa (50) during the fourth inning of a baseball game, Saturday, May 31, 2025, in Baltimore. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)
Baltimore Orioles starting pitcher Dean Kremer throws during the first inning of a baseball game against the Chicago White Sox, Saturday, May 31, 2025, in Baltimore. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)
Baltimore Orioles' Jorge Mateo celebrates after his two-run home run during the fifth inning of a baseball game against the Chicago White Sox, Saturday, May 31, 2025, in Baltimore. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)
Baltimore Orioles' Jackson Holliday, center, wears a hat and drinks out of the "homer hose" as he celebrates his home run during the first inning of a baseball game against the Chicago White Sox, Saturday, May 31, 2025, in Baltimore. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Sheldon Rankins is well-versed in the Houston Texans' nondescript playoff history. The veteran defensive tackle is hell-bent on writing a different ending this time.
And he's hardly alone. The NFL's best defense is eager to prove it's a unit capable of winning a championship.
So far, so dominant and so, so good.
Rankins returned a fumble by Aaron Rodgers 33 yards for a touchdown early in the fourth quarter to break open a tight game, and the Texans beat the Pittsburgh Steelers 30-6 on Monday night for the first road playoff win in franchise history.
“We're here for it all,” Rankins said after Houston (13-5) won its 10th straight game. “I won't sugarcoat it, won't dance around that topic. We're here for the whole thing.”
The next step comes Sunday at New England (15-3), where the Texans will try to reach the AFC Championship game for the first time.
If Houston can replicate what it did at chilly Acrisure Stadium, it might get there. The Texans limited Pittsburgh (10-8) to 175 total yards, including 81 in the second half. Coach DeMeco Ryans called it the best defensive performance in the franchise's 24-year history.
“Every time we go out there, we show (we're the best),” said Houston cornerback Calen Bullock, who picked off what might be the final pass of Rodgers' Hall of Fame career and raced 50 yards for the final score. “We went out there and showed it today. I don't think they even scored a touchdown.”
No, they didn't. The Steelers managed just a pair of first-half field goals by Chris Boswell to lose at home on a Monday night for the first time since 1991. Pittsburgh and coach Mike Tomlin have now dropped seven straight playoff games, with Tomlin tying former Bengals coach Marvin Lewis for the longest postseason losing skid in NFL history.
“I don't necessarily compare it to any other moment,” Tomlin said. “It's the here and now, and certainly it's difficult. But that's what we sign up for. That's the life we live.”
C.J. Stroud turned it over three times but also threw a first-half touchdown pass to Christian Kirk, who had eight catches for 144 yards. Woody Marks had 112 yards rushing for Houston, which had been 0-6 on the road in the postseason.
“It's all about moving forward and trying your best to flush it and keep going,” Stroud said. “Every time we had to bounce back, we made more plays.”
Marks' 13-yard touchdown run with 3:43 to go sealed it, and Bullock got his pick-6 less than a minute later.
Rodgers passed for just 146 yards in the final game of his 21st season. Whether there's a 22nd is anyone's guess. The four-time MVP will take some time before deciding whether to return next fall.
While Rodgers' play down the stretch was one of the reasons the Steelers won the AFC North, he struggled in much the same way as his predecessors, Russell Wilson and Mason Rudolph, did.
“I'm not going to make any emotional decisions,” Rodgers said. “I'm disappointed. Obviously, it was such a fun year. A lot of adversity but a lot of fun.”
More adversity than fun in the end. Rodgers' final pass of the night was a forced downfield throw that Bullock stepped in front of, and Rodgers tried and failed to tackle Bullock on the way to the end zone.
The Steelers’ defense, long the biggest problem during a playoff victory drought that is nearing a decade, forced Stroud into numerous mistakes and kept Pittsburgh in the game until late.
The result, however, was the same as it has been for the Steelers and Tomlin since they fell to New England in the 2016 AFC championship game, with a long walk to the locker room and a longer-than-hoped-for offseason to figure out what went wrong.
Houston’s victory was hardly a thing of beauty, as a thrilling opening weekend of the playoffs ended with a rock fight between clubs trying to shed some ignominious playoff history.
The Texans survived the way they have much of the season, by letting the league's best defense smother their opponent.
The Steelers failed to capitalize on the miscues from a jittery Stroud, who fumbled twice and threw a pick. Pittsburgh scored just three points off those turnovers.
Not even the return of wide receiver DK Metcalf from a two-game suspension for making contact with a fan in Detroit helped. Metcalf finished with two catches for 42 yards and had a critical drop that cost the Steelers a chance to extend a 3-0 lead.
The Texans gathered themselves after an iffy start and took a 7-6 lead when Stroud finished off a 16-play, 92-yard drive by flipping a pass to Kirk for a 4-yard touchdown.
Unlike a heart-stopping fourth-quarter rally against Baltimore that earned them their first AFC North title since 2020, this time there was no late-game magic from Rodgers or his teammates.
While Tomlin, the NFL’s longest-tenured coach, is all but assured of returning for a 20th season if he wants — even if there were chants for his firing in the final moments — Pittsburgh heads into yet another offseason in search of a quarterback and answers to a playoff drought whose weight seems to grow by the year.
Houston, meanwhile, heads to New England as the hottest team in the NFL with a quarterback who will be eager for a chance at a reprieve and a defense that can keep a game close against any opponent.
Texans: WRs Nico Collins and Justin Watson both went into the concussion protocol in the second half. S Jaylen Reed (forearm), who was activated off injured reserve early Monday, left briefly in the first quarter with a knee injury.
Texans: Face the Patriots for the first time this season.
Steelers: The NFL draft, which Pittsburgh is hosting in late April.
AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/nfl
Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers (8) throws during the first half of an NFL wild-card playoff football game against the Houston Texans, Monday, Jan. 12, 2026, in Pittsburgh. (AP Photo/Justin Berl)
Houston Texans safety Calen Bullock (2) celebrates with safety Jalen Pitre (5) after running back an interception for a touchdown during the second half of NFL wild-card playoff football game against the Pittsburgh Steelers, Monday, Jan. 12, 2026, in Pittsburgh. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)
Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers (8) loses possession of the ball while being tackled by Houston Texans defensive end Danielle Hunter (55) during the second half of an NFL wild-card playoff football game, Monday, Jan. 12, 2026, in Pittsburgh. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)
Houston Texans defensive tackle Sheldon Rankins (90) celebrates with cornerback Tremon Smith (11), defensive end Will Anderson Jr. (51) and linebacker E.J. Speed (45) after a touchdown during the second half of an NFL wild-card playoff football game against the Pittsburgh Steelers, Monday, Jan. 12, 2026, in Pittsburgh. (AP Photo/Justin Berl)
Houston Texans defensive tackle Sheldon Rankins runs to the end zone for a touchdown after recovering a fumble during the second half of an NFL wild-card playoff football game against the Pittsburgh Steelers, Monday, Jan. 12, 2026, in Pittsburgh. (AP Photo/Justin Berl)
