The White Sox and Guardians finally got some offense going in Game 3, but the home run column stayed empty. That could change fast on Thursday night in Game 4 of the American League Division Series, the only MLB game on the schedule after the Tampa Bay Rays finished off a sweep of the New York Yankees on Wednesday.
Chicago hosts Cleveland with both clubs still searching for a long ball in the series, and there’s a strong case to be made that the drought ends tonight. The Guardians have gone three games without a homer, but Jose Ramirez looks like the most natural candidate to break through. He doubled in Game 3 and also delivered another loud out, with exit velocities of 106.5 and 107.9 miles per hour.
The White Sox still haven’t announced a starter for Thursday, and another bullpen game is in play. That only adds more uncertainty to a matchup that could open the door for a swing like Ramirez’s. At +526, he’s the Guardians bat worth backing to leave the yard.
On the other side, Munetaka Murakami has the shortest home run odds in the game, and the number makes sense. He already homered off Parker Messick earlier this postseason, and he also tagged the southpaw for a single with an exit velocity of 111.5 miles per hour.
Murakami has already shown he can handle this matchup, and the timing feels right for another impact swing as the White Sox try to clinch a series at home for the first time in 120 years.
In Other News...
Will Venable Put White Sox Fans On Notice Before A Massive Game 4
The White Sox took a hit in Game 3, falling 9-3 to the Guardians and snapping a four-game postseason winning streak, but the larger picture still favors Chicago with a 2-1 lead in the best-of-five ALDS. Even with the setback, manager Will Venable projected confidence in his groups ability to reset quickly, which matters now more than ever with the series shifting back to Rate Field for a pivotal Game 4 on Thursday.
Chicago has spent much of October looking composed, and Venables tone after the loss suggested he expects that edge to show up again when it counts. A series lead can disappear fast in the postseason, so the pressure is real, but the White Sox remain in position to close things out at home if they can rediscover the form that carried them through the first three games. [Read more 🡒]
White Sox Are One Win From History As Game 4 Gets Complicated
The White Sox return home for Game 4 of the American League Division Series with a chance to close out the Guardians and move on to the ALCS, but the matchup comes with a wrinkle that could shape the tone from the first pitch. Cleveland is turning to left-hander Parker Messick, while Chicago plans to open with left-hander Hagen Smith, a setup that signals both clubs are prepared to get creative in a game with everything on the line.
Its the kind of postseason spot where every decision gets magnified, and both managers have already laid out their expectations for how Thursday could unfold. For the White Sox, the appeal is obvious: one more win and the series is over. For the Guardians, the task is simpler but no less urgent, find a way to survive a game that may hinge less on a traditional starter-versus-starter script than on which side handles the pressure better. [Read more 🡒]
White Sox Let One Slip And Suddenly Face A Tense Game 4
The White Sox finally ran into trouble in this postseason, dropping their first playoff game of the year in a 9-3 loss to the Guardians at Rate Field. Chicago still holds a 2-1 lead in the American League Division Series, but a night that started with an early edge quickly flipped once Cleveland broke through in the third inning and the home team never quite found its rhythm again.
Chicago also left too many chances on the table, especially with runners in scoring position, which made the loss feel like more than just a blip. Now the pressure shifts to Thursdays Game 4 back at Rate Field, where the White Sox will try to steady themselves before a series that once looked well in hand gets any tighter. [Read more 🡒]