With 13 games left and a half-game edge in the AL Central, the White Sox are headed into the kind of series that can redraw a season in three nights. Chicago opens its final set against Cleveland on Monday, and the stakes are as clean as they are brutal: this could be the series that decides everything.
The White Sox’s magic number to win the division sits at 12. That means the next three days can either slash that number in half or all but bury their chances. Chicago has been slipping since the start of September, while Cleveland hasn’t exactly been steamrolling anyone, which is why this matchup feels like the hinge point for both clubs.
There’s also history hanging over this one. The White Sox haven’t played a division series with this much on the line since 2008, when they needed just one win over the Twins in the final series of the year to clinch the division.
They didn’t get it, wound up in a makeup game against the Tigers, then had to play a one-game playoff against Minnesota to settle it. Chicago will be hoping this trip to Cleveland ends a lot differently.
The path forward is simple, but the outcomes are massive. The White Sox already own a 6-4 season series lead over the Guardians, including a 2-2 split in Cleveland and a 4-2 mark at home. If the teams finish with the same record, the head-to-head tiebreaker belongs to Chicago, which means the Sox need to win just one of the three games to keep that edge.
The four possible results tell the whole story. A sweep would leave the White Sox 3.5 games up with the tiebreaker, basically a four-game cushion with 10 to play.
Taking two of three would put them 1.5 games ahead and still in control of the tiebreaker. Even if Cleveland wins two of three, Chicago would only be a half-game back and still hold the tiebreaker, meaning the White Sox would remain in charge of their own fate.
But if the Guardians sweep, they’d jump to a 2.5-game lead and take the tiebreaker, which would effectively end Chicago’s division hopes.
The setup is not exactly favorable for the White Sox. Cleveland gets the series at home, and the Guardians have lined up Gavin Williams and Parker Messick to start two of the games.
They also have Jose Ramirez, a perennial MVP candidate who changes the feel of a lineup all by himself. Still, the White Sox have spent the season finding ways to keep themselves in the fight.
The last couple of weeks have been rough, and several important players are going through tough stretches. But the season isn’t over, and the White Sox still control their own destiny. Now they get three games in Cleveland to prove it.
In Other News...
White Sox Make A Risky Pitching Call With Cleveland Closing In
With Cleveland closing in, the White Sox are leaning into a matchup-driven pitching plan for Game 2 of the series, using left-hander Chris Murphy as the opener before handing the bulk of the innings to right-hander Davis Martin. Murphy was just recalled from Triple-A, and the move adds another layer of intrigue for a club trying to protect a slim edge in the American League Central.
Martin has been one of the steadier arms in the rotation, working 26 starts with a 9-7 record and a 4.05 ERA, so Chicago is trusting him to carry the heavier load after Murphy handles the early frame. It is the kind of aggressive call that can look smart if the pitching line holds, and risky if the Guardians force the White Sox to keep reaching deeper into the bullpen. [Read more 🡒]
White Sox Just Created A New Drew Thorpe Decision
The White Sox reshaped their pitching picture by recalling left-hander Noah Schultz from Triple-A Charlotte and designating right-hander Jos Urquidy for assignment. Schultz is expected to get the ball in an upcoming game, giving Chicago another look at a young arm while also clearing the kind of roster space that often hints at a larger move down the line.
Drew Thorpe is the name now hovering over that opening. He is finishing a rehab assignment, and the White Sox soon have to decide whether to bring him back to the major league roster or option him to Triple-A. With one roster move already made, the next step is lined up, and it could tell a lot about where Chicago thinks Thorpe fits in the short term. [Read more 🡒]
White Sox Face A Bigger September Test Than Just Cleveland
The White Sox are trying to keep their grip on first place in the AL Central as they head into a crucial late-season series against Cleveland, a stretch that should say plenty about how real this run has become. Chicago also added pitcher Luis Castillo in a trade, hoping he would help steady the staff down the stretch, but his early work has not matched the level the club expected when it brought him in.
Mike Shirleys resignation as amateur scouting director adds another layer to the month, because the White Sox are now weighing whether to restructure that part of the front office. So while the immediate focus stays on the Guardians and the division race, the bigger September question is how much the organization wants to change behind the scenes even as it tries to finish in front. [Read more 🡒]