The White Sox and Guardians are heading back to Progressive Field for Game 5 of their ALDS, and the pressure is all on the line now. Chicago opened the series with two straight wins, Cleveland answered with two of its own, and neither club has managed to defend home turf in this matchup yet. The Guardians will try to break that pattern Saturday night.
Cleveland evened things up Thursday behind Jose Ramirez, who helped power a 9-5 win to force the decisive game. Now the question is simple: can the Guardians finish the job at home, or will the White Sox steal it on the road?
One of the biggest storylines going into Game 5 centers on Gavin Williams. Guardians manager Stephen Vogt drew plenty of attention for using him in the 9th inning of Game 4, a move some saw as necessary and others viewed as risky with Williams lined up to start Saturday. He’s expected to take the ball again, and despite the 18 high-stress pitches he threw Thursday, the expectation here is that he’ll settle in and give Cleveland at least four, maybe five, solid innings.
Josh Vargas has been one of the White Sox’s most dangerous bats all year, and that hasn’t changed in this series. He homered in the 9th inning Thursday, giving Chicago at least a little life even though the team still trailed by four runs at the time.
During the regular season, the All-Star infielder hit .304 with three home runs against Cleveland, and he’s followed that up by hitting .400 with one homer through the first four games of the ALDS. With Munetaka Murakami hitting right behind him, Cleveland doesn’t have much choice but to challenge him.
The prediction here: Vargas leaves the yard again.
Brayan Rocchio is another Guardian who could swing the game in a hurry. “Rocctember” has become part of Cleveland’s identity in recent seasons because of his knack for big September moments, and even though his postseason hasn’t been as clean, the track record is still hard to ignore. He had four walk-offs during the regular season, including one against the White Sox in September, so there’s reason to think he’ll find a moment when Cleveland needs it most.
Then there’s Cade Smith, who may be the most likely to close the door if the Guardians get the lead. A two-inning save wouldn’t normally sound like much of a stretch, but it becomes a tougher call here because he threw 31 pitches Thursday and is working on just one day of rest.
Still, Vogt has shown he’s willing to use Smith before the 9th inning, and if Cleveland is holding a lead of three runs or fewer in the 8th - maybe even more - he could get the ball. The prediction: Smith finishes the job with a two-inning save and sends the Guardians into the ALCS.
In Other News...
Foster Griffin Gave Cleveland The Outing Nobody Saw Coming
Foster Griffins appearance in Game 3 of the American League Division Series was the kind of surprise outing that can change the feel of a postseason game. In just 2 2/3 innings of relief, Griffin struck out seven, matching the Guardians postseason record for strikeouts by a reliever and helping fuel a night in which Clevelands pitching staff piled up 19 strikeouts, an MLB postseason record for a nine-inning game.
What made it stand out even more was the setting around it. This was only Griffins second major league relief appearance and his first this season, so there was no real reason to expect him to become a central figure in a playoff game with that much on the line. Instead, he gave Cleveland an outing nobody saw coming, and in October, those are the performances that tend to linger. [Read more 🡒]
Guardians Kept Their Season Alive And Now Everything Comes Home
The Guardians are headed back home with their season still intact after a 9-5 win over the White Sox in Game 4 of the ALDS. Cleveland had to answer after falling into an elimination game, and the lineup delivered enough punch to force a decisive Game 5, with the offense breaking through in a big way and giving the club another chance to keep its October run going.
Jos Ramrez was right in the middle of it, helping steady a night that could have slipped away and giving Cleveland the kind of lift it needed when the pressure was highest. Now the focus shifts back to home turf, where the Guardians will try to finish the job and move on to the ALCS, with everything in the series now coming down to one more game. [Read more 🡒]
Guardians Suddenly Face A Game 5 Gavin Williams Dilemma
A tense Game 4 win over the White Sox left the Guardians with a familiar October problem and a new wrinkle at the same time. Stephen Vogt leaned on multiple bullpen arms to protect the lead, and one of the more surprising moves was turning to starter Gavin Williams in relief as Cleveland tried to push the American League Division Series to a winner-take-all Game 5.
That usage now hangs over the next days planning, because Williams had not been part of the late-inning relief mix before and was asked to get through just one inning. Vogt said both Williams and Cade Smith should still be options for Game 5, but Cleveland suddenly has to sort out how much it can ask from a starter it may have needed more than expected just to survive the previous night. [Read more 🡒]