The Cleveland Guardians had this one in hand for five innings. Then the sixth arrived, and the whole night unraveled.
Chicago hung six runs on Cleveland in that frame and walked out of Progressive Field with a 7-3 win Monday night, dropping the Guardians to 76-75 and leaving them a game and a half back of the White Sox in the AL Central race.
Gavin Williams looked like he was building something special through five scoreless innings. He was sharp, efficient enough, and in control until one long battle with Tristan Peters changed everything.
That at-bat stretched to 18 pitches, pushed Williams to 113 pitches, and ended with him leaving after the sixth began with no outs. By then, the damage had started.
Williams was charged with two runs, one earned, while allowing four hits, three walks, and two hit batsmen. He struck out seven.
Chicago had already set the tone with Sean Newcomb opening the game with a scoreless inning, then Sean Burke taking over and carving through Guardians hitters for five frames. Burke gave up just an unearned run, and the White Sox bullpen finished the job.
The sixth inning was where the game broke open. Andrew Benintendi led off with a single, and the Peters at-bat dragged Williams deep into the count.
After the walk, Tim Herrin came in with runners on first and second and nobody out. Colson Montgomery then bounced into what looked like a double play, but Nathaniel Lowe’s throw struck the runner heading from first to second in the head, and the ball skittered away, letting Benintendi score the first run of the night.
Chase Meidroth followed with a single that brought Peters home and made it 2-0. Herrin got one out on a Braden Montgomery strikeout, but Randal Grichuk’s single loaded the bases. Kyle Teel then ripped a two-run double to make it 4-0, though Brayan Rocchio saved another run by throwing out Grichuk at the plate with a strong relay.
Daniel Espino replaced Herrin and was greeted by Miguel Vargas, who launched a two-run homer to cap the six-run inning before Espino finally got the last out.
Cleveland got on the board in the bottom of the sixth when Colson Montgomery couldn’t handle a Jose Ramirez pop-up, allowing Patrick Bailey to score. But the White Sox added one more in the ninth when Benintendi singled in Vargas against Connor Brogdon, with the run charged to Slade Cecconi.
David Fry gave the Guardians a late jolt in the ninth with a two-run homer that brought in Jo Adell and cut the deficit to 7-3, but the comeback never got off the ground.
Ramirez finished 1-for-4 with two stolen bases. Bailey went 1-for-3 with a run scored, Steven Kwan had a hit and a walk, and Fry homered, scored once, and drove in two.
The series continues Tuesday with Davis Martin starting for Chicago and Foster Griffin getting the ball for Cleveland.
In Other News...
Guardians Rookie Just Delivered The Response Cleveland Needed Most
Petey Halpin gave Cleveland exactly the kind of night a young player can use to change the conversation. After an early defensive misplay, the rookie answered with the biggest swing of the game, a go-ahead three-run homer against the White Sox that helped the Guardians beat Chicago 6-3 and move into first place in the AL Central. It was the sort of response teams remember, especially from a player still trying to carve out his place on a club with real division ambitions.
Halpins night carried a little extra weight because of the matchup, too. He had not done much against left-handed pitching before, but he came through with his first home run off a lefty and added key hits along the way, drawing praise from teammates and coaches for the way he handled the moment. For Cleveland, it was more than a promising rookie performance. It was the kind of contribution that can steady a dugout and hint at what the Guardians might have in him going forward. [Read more 🡒]
Guardians Just Grabbed Back First Place At The Perfect Time
Parker Messick and Anthony Kay gave the night an immediate feel of a game that would be shaped on the margins, and for a while that is exactly how it played. Cleveland and Chicago matched up with both starters leaning on the same trends they had shown against this opponent all season, before the Guardians found a third-inning breakthrough and started stacking enough contact and pressure to turn it their way.
Jo Adell, Tommy Pham, Petey Halpin and Jose all helped push the inning-to-inning advantage along, while the bullpen piece mattered just as much once the lead was in hand. Hagen Smith, Sean Newcomb and Hunter Gaddis each had a hand in the late work, and for Cleveland the bigger picture was as important as the box score: a win like this came at exactly the right moment in a tight race, with first place back within reach again. [Read more 🡒]
Guardians Face A Steven Kwan Decision Fans May Hate
Steven Kwans name has become one of the more interesting long-term conversations around Cleveland as the season moves along, because the Guardians are staring at a familiar kind of front-office crossroads. He is entering the final year of his contract, and after 2027 he could be on track for free agency, which makes his future a real issue for a club that has to balance present value with the realities of its roster cycle.
Kwans season has still carried plenty of value, with his overall impact showing up strongly in bWAR even as his offense has been a little below his usual standard. That tension is what makes the coming offseason so delicate for Cleveland: whether to explore a trade while his market is still strong or push for a long-term extension and keep one of its most recognizable everyday players in place. [Read more 🡒]