The Guardians had their best arm on the mound and still walked away from Game 2 empty-handed.
Gavin Williams delivered exactly the kind of October start Cleveland needed, carving through the White Sox for 11 strikeouts over five innings while allowing two earned runs on four hits. He was sharp from the jump, and the numbers backed it up: Williams became the fourth pitcher in Cleveland history to record five strikeouts in the first two innings of a postseason game, and the third Cleveland pitcher to pile up double-digit strikeouts in a playoff outing.
But none of that held up once the game reached the bullpen.
Cleveland led early after Chicago manager Will Venable made a quick hook in the first inning. Anthony Kay got through Steven Kwan with a leadoff single and José Ramírez with a walk before Chase DeLauter grounded out, and that was enough for Venable to pull the plug. Sean Newcomb came on, issued an intentional walk to Jo Adell, and then watched the Guardians push across two runs on a Baltimore chop from Lowe that ended with a throwing error.
That was Cleveland’s only real burst at the plate. After the opening inning, the Guardians managed just one more hit the rest of the way.
The White Sox kept shuffling arms, and the move that was supposed to tilt the game in Cleveland’s favor never really materialized. Sean Burke came in as the bulk pitcher in the third to handle the right-handed hitting Adell, but the Guardians didn’t do much with the matchup they wanted. Then came the sixth, and that’s where the game flipped for good.
Williams gave up a leadoff single to Miguel Vargas, and Erik Sabrowski took over. Braden Montgomery followed with a go-ahead double, and suddenly Cleveland was chasing again.
Burke settled in after that and was dominant, retiring 14 straight before being lifted for Grant Taylor in the eighth after allowing a single to Chase DeLauter. Adell tried to spark one last push with a run-scoring triple to center, but that was all the Guardians could scrape together against Taylor.
The result was a 4-3 White Sox win, and now Cleveland heads back home with no margin for error in the series.
In Other News...
Guardians Loss Put Cleveland's Next Roster Decisions Front And Center
The Guardians season hung in the balance in Game 3 of the American League Division Series against the White Sox, and with that urgency came an offseason conversation that was already starting to take shape. Cleveland has a cluster of free agents to sort through, including Austin Hedges, Rhys Hoskins, Nathaniel Lowe, Shawn Armstrong and Foster Griffin, all of whom have factors that will matter as the front office looks ahead to roster construction and the margins that can swing a year.
If the series reaches Game 4, Parker Messick is expected to get the ball, adding another layer to a team already navigating the pressure of October. Messick and manager Stephen Vogt both addressed the challenge of handling the environment around a game like this, a reminder that Clevelands present and future are suddenly colliding at the same time. [Read more 🡒]
Steven Kwan Sends A Clear Message As Guardians Face Elimination
The Guardians have been here before, staring at another elimination game with their season hanging by a thread. Cleveland has stumbled badly in these spots over the years, losing 13 of its last 14 postseason elimination games, but Steven Kwan said there is no panic in the clubhouse as the team prepares for Game 3 of the ALDS against the Chicago White Sox.
Cleveland has already shown this October that it can shake off a bad start, rallying from a 2-0 deficit in the 2024 ALDS to extend its run. The challenge now is even more immediate after dropping the first two games of this series, but Kwans message was clear: the Guardians are not treating the moment like a lost cause. [Read more 🡒]
Vogt's Gavin Williams Decision Just Put More Pressure On Cleveland
Stephen Vogts choice to lift Gavin Williams in the sixth inning of Game 2 against the White Sox was made with caution in mind, as the Guardians manager said he wanted to avoid overextending the right-hander after 91 pitches. Williams had been working through a tough spot when he was removed following a single, and Cleveland was counting on the bullpen to keep the game manageable.
Instead, the relief group gave up more runs, and the loss left Cleveland in a deeper hole in the series. Now down 0-2 with the next games in Chicago, the Guardians face a tougher road than they wanted, and the decision to protect Williams only adds to the scrutiny as the pressure builds. [Read more 🡒]