The Chicago White Sox swept the Houston Astros out of the postseason in two games. Ten days later, their own October run has come to an end.
The Cleveland Guardians defeated Chicago 2-0 Saturday night at Progressive Field, completing a remarkable comeback from a two-game deficit to win the American League Division Series, 3-2.
José Ramírez provided all the offense Cleveland needed with a two-run home run in the fourth inning, while Gavin Williams struck out 12 batters in a dominant performance. Four Guardians pitchers combined for 21 strikeouts, setting a Major League record for a nine-inning game.
Chicago, which won the first two games of the series in Cleveland, lost three consecutive games and saw its season end without scoring a run in the finale.
Ramírez Delivers the Decisive Blow
With Steven Kwan aboard in the fourth inning, Ramírez stepped to the plate against White Sox starter Sean Burke and delivered the biggest swing of Cleveland’s postseason.
Ramírez reached down for a 78 mph curveball barely above the ground and drove it over the right-field wall for a two-run homer, giving the Guardians a 2-0 lead.
The pitch was just 0.74 feet above the ground, making it the lowest pitch hit for a postseason home run in the pitch-tracking era, which began in 2008.
The 348-foot home run was Ramírez’s second in as many games, following his two-run shot in Cleveland’s Game 4 victory. After a difficult start to the postseason, the veteran third baseman delivered when his team needed him most.
Burke completed five innings, allowing two runs on four hits while striking out four. His effort kept Chicago within striking distance, but the White Sox offense could not respond.
Williams Dominates on Short Rest
Williams entered Saturday’s game under unusual circumstances.
Just two days earlier, he had come out of the bullpen to record the final three outs of Cleveland’s 9-5 victory in Game 4. He threw 18 pitches in that appearance, then returned to the mound as the Guardians’ starter for the deciding game.
Any concerns about his workload quickly disappeared.
Williams held Chicago hitless until Kyle Teel singled to right field with two outs in the sixth inning. He finished with 12 strikeouts over 5 2/3 innings, allowing only one hit.
His 12 strikeouts tied Cleveland’s franchise record for a postseason game, previously established by Charles Nagy in 1996.
Williams was particularly effective at generating swings and misses, finishing with 22. Combined with his earlier postseason appearances, he recorded 24 strikeouts during the series.
His performance was even more remarkable considering he had recorded the final out of Game 4 before returning to start Game 5 with Cleveland again facing elimination.
Chicago Squanders Its Best Opportunity
The White Sox finally threatened in the sixth inning.
With two outs, Teel broke up Williams’ no-hit bid. Chicago eventually loaded the bases, bringing Munetaka Murakami to the plate with an opportunity to erase Cleveland’s lead.
Guardians manager Stephen Vogt turned to Erik Sabrowski, who struck out Murakami on five pitches to end the inning.
It was Chicago’s best opportunity to change the outcome.
Hunter Gaddis followed with four outs before Cade Smith recorded the final five, striking out four batters to secure the save.
Chicago finished with just three hits and 21 strikeouts. Cleveland’s overwhelming pitching performance left the White Sox with few opportunities to generate offense.
The 21 strikeouts established a record for any nine-inning Major League game, regular season or postseason. The White Sox struck out 75 times across the five-game series.
From Two Games Down to the ALCS
Cleveland became the 11th team in Major League history to win a best-of-five postseason series after losing the first two games.
The Guardians are the first team to accomplish the comeback since the 2017 New York Yankees, who defeated Cleveland after falling behind 2-0.
Only four teams have completed such a comeback after losing the first two games at home.
The circumstances made Cleveland’s achievement especially impressive. After dropping Games 1 and 2 at Progressive Field, the Guardians faced elimination three consecutive times. They responded with victories of 9-3 and 9-5 in Chicago before returning home to complete the series with a shutout.
For the White Sox, the elimination ended an extraordinary turnaround season.
Chicago reached the playoffs after three consecutive seasons with at least 100 losses, then swept Houston in the Wild Card Series. The White Sox appeared poised for another upset after taking a commanding lead against Cleveland, but their offense and bullpen could not sustain that advantage.
The Guardians, meanwhile, are headed to the American League Championship Series with momentum and a pitching staff that has demonstrated its ability to dominate a postseason game.
Championship Series Field Is Set
With Cleveland’s victory, all four League Championship Series participants have been determined.
The Guardians will face the Tampa Bay Rays in the American League Championship Series, beginning Monday, October 12, at 7 p.m. CT in St. Petersburg. The series will air on TBS, truTV, and UniMás, with streaming available on HBO Max.
In the National League, the Milwaukee Brewers host the Los Angeles Dodgers in Game 1 of the NLCS on Sunday, October 11, at 7 p.m. CT.
The White Sox, who ended Houston’s postseason on September 30, are now headed home themselves.
For Cleveland, the journey continues. After three consecutive elimination games, the Guardians are four victories away from their first World Series appearance since 2016.
