The White Sox opened the ALDS with a 3-0 win over the Cleveland Guardians, and Grant Taylor ended up taking center stage in a way that almost never happens in October.
Taylor handled the final four innings to lock down Game 1, turning in a four-inning save that stood out even before the history attached to it. Jayson Stark of The Athletic noted that it was only the third save of four-plus innings in a game that close in modern postseason history, dating back to 1969.
“This was only the third save of four-plus innings in a game that close in modern postseason history (since 1969). Here are the others: Madison Bumgarner (5 IP) -- Game 7, 2014 World Series. Vida Blue (4 IP) -- Game 5, 1972 ALCS,” Stark writes.
That puts Taylor in a tiny club alongside two postseason heavyweights. His outing against Cleveland was only the third time since 1969 that a pitcher has recorded a four-plus-inning save in a true save situation, with the game within three runs.
Taylor finished with 4.0 innings pitched, two hits allowed, no walks, no runs and six strikeouts. That line would turn heads in any setting, but doing it in a playoff opener makes it even harder to ignore.
Munetaka Murakami supplied the offense with a two-run homer, and Taylor’s work out of the bullpen helped the White Sox grab a 1-0 series lead. Among the big performances already piling up in the 2026 MLB playoffs, this one has a place near the top.
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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 🡒]
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Guardians Need Someone Else To Deliver Their Big October Moment
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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 🡒]