Chase DeLauter doesn’t get the luxury of easing into October anymore.
A year ago, he was the rookie thrust into Game 2 of Cleveland’s wild card series against Detroit after the Guardians dropped the opener. That debut came with the team already chasing the postseason and searching for offense. Monday brings a different version of the same kind of pressure: another Game 2, another series deficit, and another night when Cleveland needs its bats to wake up.
This time, though, DeLauter is not the unknown prospect just trying to survive the moment. He finished the regular season as one of Cleveland’s most reliable hitters and led the Guardians with a .287 average.
That makes his role simple and unavoidable. If Cleveland is going to solve Chicago’s bullpen parade and square the AL Division Series before it shifts to Rate Field, DeLauter has to be part of the answer.
“The more you dwell on Game 1 and what you did wrong, it’s just going to affect Game 2,” DeLauter said Monday. “You flush it, turn around.
We had the off day yesterday and came in here, had a good day of work and come out for Game 2. It’s a brand new day and just play.”
That message fits the whole clubhouse after a Game 1 that exposed the same problem over and over: runners on base, chances available, runs not following. DeLauter had one of those moments himself, coming up with the bases loaded and a 2-0 count. He didn’t hide from the missed opportunity.
“I get 2-0 advantage there, gotta get the job done at the end of the day,” DeLauter said.
Then he widened the lens to the rest of the lineup.
“When we get traffic or get guys on, that’s when we’ve got to come through.”
That’s the heartbeat of Cleveland’s task on Monday. Not some grand offensive reinvention. Just better execution from the hitters who are supposed to drive the lineup.
The matchup in front of them is also built to test patience. The White Sox are starting left-hander Anthony Kay, but Chicago’s approach is bigger than any one arm.
Manager Will Venable is treating his pitching staff like a moving puzzle, leaning on matchups, shuffling pieces and using the off days to keep his best arms fresh. He said the schedule allows Chicago to rest pitchers it has already leaned on heavily, including Hagen Smith and Grant Taylor, while continuing to “mix and match” through the series.
It worked in Game 1. That doesn’t make it untouchable.
Cleveland has lived in these bullpen-game waters all season, and Stephen Vogt pointed to the switch hitters on the roster as one reason the Guardians have some built-in protection against constant pitching changes.
“We’re used to it,” Vogt said. “So you try to bring as much balance to the lineup, but also your best hitters need to hit most often.”
That last part is the part that matters now.
The Guardians can handle the moving parts. They’ve seen enough left-right juggling and relief-pitching chaos to know the routine.
But strategy only goes so far. At some point, somebody still has to throw strikes, and Cleveland still has to do something with them.
DeLauter cut right through all the matchup talk.
“Postseason, it’s very matchup related,” he said. “You can match up guys throughout the entire game.
At the end of the day, it’s baseball. They’ve got their strikes and you’ve got to hit strikes.
That’s the name of the game.”
That’s the assignment for Cleveland, and it lands hardest on the hitter who has already lived through October pressure once before. Last year, Game 2 was DeLauter’s introduction.
This time, the Guardians need more than a debut. They need production.
In Other News...
Guardians Send Clear Message With Urgent Game 2 Lineup Shakeup
The Guardians came into Game 2 against the White Sox with a noticeably different look, making several lineup adjustments that suggested urgency after the opener. Patrick Bailey was behind the plate and Nathaniel Lowe handled first base, while Chase DeLauter and Jo Adell were shifted into different defensive spots as Cleveland also rearranged the batting order.
Chicago answered with changes of its own, inserting Andrew Benintendi, Sam Antonacci and Tristan Peters while moving Kyle Teel up to the No. 2 spot. With both clubs altering the mix on the fly, the second game had the feel of a quick reset, with Cleveland clearly trying to spark something early and keep the series from settling into one team's preferred rhythm. [Read more 🡒]
Guardians Suddenly Have A Real First Base Problem
Clevelands run to a third straight AL Central title came with plenty of familiar caveats, but first base has emerged as one of the clearest offseason questions on the roster. Kyle Manzardo looked like part of the answer after his breakout in 2025, only to stumble offensively in 2026 and wind up back in Triple-A. The Guardians responded at the trade deadline by adding Nathaniel Lowe and Jo Adell, a sign they were willing to patch the spot quickly rather than wait for the bats to come around.
Now the bigger issue is what comes next. Manzardos future in Cleveland is uncertain, and prospect Ralphy Velazquez is expected to take over first base, which puts the organization in a position it likely did not expect when the season started. The Guardians have survived roster uncertainty before, but this one has the feel of a move that could reshape how they handle the position for the long haul. [Read more 🡒]
Guardians Need Someone Else To Deliver Their Big October Moment
The Guardians had plenty of pitching in place for a familiar playoff script, but the first game of the ALDS turned on the kind of offensive drought that can make even a solid performance feel hollow. Chicagos 3-0 win was driven by Munetaka Murakamis two-run homer, while Cleveland spent the night trying to solve a parade of White Sox arms, including Anthony Kay and Sean Burke, and never found the timely hit it needed.
Clevelands players pointed to the challenge of facing multiple starters in one game, even as they leaned on the comfort of having seen this Chicago pitching staff during the regular season. The bigger issue is less about recognition than execution, because the Guardians now need someone beyond the mound work to supply the defining October swing if they want this series to tilt back their way. [Read more 🡒]