The Cleveland Guardians walked into Wednesday on the brink, and they walked out with a little piece of postseason history.
Cleveland knocked off the Chicago White Sox 9-3 in Game 3 of the American League Division Series, trimming Chicago’s series lead to 2-1 and keeping its season alive. The bigger headline, though, came from the mound: the Guardians piled up 19 strikeouts, setting a major league postseason record for a nine-inning game.
That kind of night doesn’t happen by accident. Cleveland’s pitchers kept Chicago from ever settling in, and the White Sox never found the sustained offense they needed to close the door in front of their home crowd. Foster Griffin picked up the win after working 2 2/3 strong innings in relief, while Cade Smith and Tim Herrin also helped shut down key moments as the game tilted Cleveland’s way.
Chicago still had chances. It just couldn’t cash them in, finishing 2-for-11 with runners in scoring position and stranding opportunity after opportunity. The White Sox also handed out 10 walks, and those extra outs turned into extra damage.
Jose Ramirez was right in the middle of it for Cleveland. The veteran third baseman collected two hits and delivered a two-run triple, a much-needed burst after he’d been battling through a wrist issue and a quiet stretch at the plate. Jo Adell added a bases-clearing triple of his own, and the Guardians finished with nine runs, matching the total Chicago had allowed over its previous four postseason games.
For the White Sox, it was a rough night all around. They came in needing one win to reach the American League Championship Series and instead ran into defensive mistakes, pitching trouble and missed chances at the plate. The result left them still ahead in the best-of-five series, but under real pressure heading into Thursday’s Game 4 in Chicago.
The assignment for Cleveland stays simple: win again or go home. After Wednesday’s historic performance, the Guardians have at least given themselves another chance to keep going.
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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 Enter Crucial Game 4 With One Big Decision Looming
The White Sox are back at home for Game 4 of the American League Division Series with a chance to push the Guardians to the brink, but the most immediate question surrounds who will take the ball for Chicago. Through three games, Cleveland has still not hit a home run in the series, a strange little subplot in a matchup that has otherwise been tightly packed and tense. Jose Ramirez stands out as the likeliest Guardians hitter to break that drought, which only adds a little more edge to a night already carrying plenty of it.
Chicagos own uncertainty on the mound leaves the pregame picture even more open, with no starter named yet as the series shifts into a defining point. Offensively, the White Sox are also watching the long ball conversation from their side, where Munetaka Murakami enters as the favorite to go deep based on how he has handled the postseason so far. In a game where one swing could change the entire feel of the series, the White Sox still have the biggest decision left to make. [Read more 🡒]