The Cleveland Guardians are headed to the American League Championship Series after one of the wildest elimination-game turnarounds you’ll see.
Behind a dominant night from Gavin Williams, a relentless bullpen, and José Ramírez’s two-run blast, Cleveland shut out the Chicago White Sox 2-0 in Game 5 of the AL Division Series on Saturday at Progressive Field. The Guardians had dropped the first two games at home, then won twice in Chicago to pull the series even, and finished the job in front of a sell-out crowd.
Williams was the headliner on the mound. Just two days after throwing an inning of relief in Game 4, he came back and carved through the White Sox for 5.2 scoreless innings, striking out 12 while allowing one hit and two walks. Chicago starter Sean Burke matched him early, with both pitchers stacking up zeros until the fourth.
That’s when Steven Kwan started the inning with a single and set the stage for Ramírez.
JOSÉ RAMÍREZ!
GUARDIANS TAKE THE FIRST LEAD OF GAME 5! pic.twitter.com/Z0zoqm513R
- MLB (@MLB) October 11, 2026
Ramírez got a pitch that was nearly scraping the dirt and sent it soaring over the right-field wall for a two-run homer that gave Cleveland all the offense it would need. The crowd erupted, and for the third straight game, J-Ram delivered in a massive spot. He had a double and a triple in Game 3, then homered in Game 4 before coming through again on Saturday.
From @ESPNInsights: The Jose Ramirez home run was 0.89 feet above the ground as it crossed home plate. It's the lowest pitch he's hit for a home run in his MLB career.
It's also the lowest pitch anyone has hit for a postseason home run in the pitch-tracking era (since 2008).
- Jesse Rogers (@JesseRogersESPN) October 11, 2026
Cleveland’s bullpen kept the door shut from there. Erik Sabrowski finished the sixth for Williams, Hunter Gaddis recorded four outs - all by strikeout - and Cade Smith slammed the door with five outs and four punchouts in the ninth-inning role.
The strikeout total told the story. The four Guardians pitchers combined for 21 of the game’s 27 outs via strikeout, setting a new postseason record for a nine-inning game. The White Sox managed just three hits, none for extra bases, and drew only a couple of walks.
Ramírez finished 1-for-3 with the biggest homer of his career, along with a run and two RBI. Petey Halpin added two doubles, and Kwan went 1-for-4 with a run.
The Guardians get Sunday off before opening the AL Championship Series against the Rays on Monday at 8:00 pm ET.
In Other News...
Guardians Face A Costly ALDS Dilemma Beyond Just The Rotation
The Guardians are heading into the ALDS with more to weigh than just the top of the rotation. The conversation around their playoff roster has spilled into the deeper pitching mix, and it comes at a time when every arm matters even more in October. The team has already been forced to think carefully about how it balances starter usage, bullpen coverage and the kind of roster flexibility that can decide a short series.
Gavin Williams is part of that equation, even if his role has been less familiar in the majors. His shift into relief added another wrinkle to Clevelands pitching plan, and it underscores how quickly postseason strategy can change once the games start. There are also broader organizational questions hanging in the background, from MLBPA contract negotiations to the possibility of a future work stoppage, but for the Guardians the immediate issue is simpler and more urgent: how to build a roster that gives them the best chance to survive October without leaving too much pitching on the table. [Read more 🡒]
Guardians Suddenly Look Dangerous Thanks To One Deadline Gamble
The Guardians have flipped the tone of this ALDS in a hurry, taking Games 3 and 4 from the White Sox while putting nine runs on the board in each contest. Suddenly, Cleveland is one win from the ALCS, and the offense that looked so uneven earlier in the series has found a rhythm at exactly the right time. A deadline addition has become part of that surge, giving the lineup a jolt the club badly needed once the pressure shifted back home.
Jo Adell has been right in the middle of it, stepping into a lineup that needed someone to lengthen at-bats and change the feel of the series. His impact has given Cleveland a new layer of danger, the kind that can turn a tight October game into one that gets away from an opponent fast. With the Guardians now carrying all the momentum, the question is no longer whether the move helped, but how far it might carry them from here. [Read more 🡒]
Guardians Just Delivered An October Moment Cleveland Wont Forget
Gavin Williams gave Cleveland the kind of October start that can tilt a series and a city all at once, overpowering the White Sox in Game 5 of the ALDS while the Guardians closed out a 2-0 win to punch their ticket to the American League Championship Series. The rookie right-hander matched a Cleveland postseason mark with 12 strikeouts over 5 2/3 innings, a dominant turn that helped steady a club trying to claw back after dropping the first two games of the best-of-five.
Jos Ramrez supplied the offense, and the Guardians season now rolls into the ALCS against the Tampa Bay Rays starting Monday. In the broader context, Cleveland just became the 11th team to rally from an 0-2 hole in a best-of-five series, and the way this one ended left the Guardians with momentum and a little more postseason history tucked into the background. [Read more 🡒]