Jo Adell had the kind of night hitters remember for all the wrong reasons in Game 1, and Cleveland can’t let Chicago do that to him again.
Adell’s own words told the story best after Saturday’s 3-0 loss to the White Sox: “I was definitely put in a blender today for sure, to say the least,” he said.
That was the White Sox plan in a nutshell. Chicago kept rotating pitchers, arm slots and looks, never letting Adell - or the rest of the Guardians’ lineup - settle in. Every time Adell walked back to the plate, he was seeing something different.
“They put the right guys out there and they make it tough,” Adell said. “We’ve got to adjust and find a way to do it.”
Cleveland doesn’t really have the luxury of time to figure it out slowly. Game 2 may not technically be an elimination game, but it carries that kind of weight. Drop this one, and the Guardians head to Chicago staring at a 2-0 deficit in a best-of-five series.
The offense has to be better, and it starts with turning pressure into production. Cleveland finished Game 1 with just three hits, its fewest in a postseason game since Game 2 of the 2024 ALDS.
The Guardians also loaded the bases twice early and came away empty. That kind of missed chance can’t keep happening if they want to even this series.
Adell is supposed to help prevent exactly that. Since coming over on Aug. 3, he has led the Guardians with 32 RBI and hit .298 with runners in scoring position.
Cleveland needed more middle-of-the-order punch, and he gave it to them. Now the Guardians need that version of him to show up again.
Chicago set the tone from the first inning. Hagen Smith worked 2 2/3 hitless innings to start things off, then the White Sox kept handing the ball around until Grant Taylor took over and shut it down from there. Taylor finished with four scoreless innings and six strikeouts, and he threw 34 of his 42 pitches for strikes.
Steven Kwan said that kind of constant turnover can make things “a little funky,” but he also made clear the Guardians should know what’s coming by now. They’ve seen these pitchers before. They know how Chicago likes to use them.
Stephen Vogt said Cleveland chased too much Saturday, swung at pitches it should have left alone and took some it should have attacked.
“We’ve rereviewed it and we’ve looked at it, now we’re going to make an adjustment and game plan,” Vogt said.
Adell said the fix has to start with him, too.
“I know mine needs to change for sure,” he said.
That doesn’t mean swinging for the fences every time he steps in. If anything, that plays right into Chicago’s hands. Adell needs to stay disciplined, work the zone and be ready when the White Sox miss.
And when the Guardians do get runners in scoring position, somebody has to cash them in.
That was the difference in Game 1. Parker Messick and the bullpen did their job and held Chicago to three runs, which should have been enough.
“You hold them to three runs, that gives you a pretty good chance to win,” Vogt said.
Kwan didn’t sound interested in turning one ugly offensive night into something bigger.
“The worst thing you do is you try to change everything,” Kwan said. “They pitched really well, they hit their spots. Just go back, we prepare for the next guy and you just keep pushing.”
That’s the formula. But it still comes back to one swing, one at-bat, one moment when the game is there for the taking.
Gavin Williams has a chance to control Game 2 from the mound. Cleveland’s bullpen can do its part. None of it matters if the Guardians leave the big hit sitting there again.
Adell spent the last two months proving he can be that guy.
In Other News...
Guardians Send Clear Message With Urgent Game 2 Lineup Shakeup
The Guardians came into Game 2 against the White Sox with a noticeably different look, making several lineup adjustments that suggested urgency after the opener. Patrick Bailey was behind the plate and Nathaniel Lowe handled first base, while Chase DeLauter and Jo Adell were shifted into different defensive spots as Cleveland also rearranged the batting order.
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 🡒]
Guardians Suddenly Have A Real First Base Problem
Clevelands run to a third straight AL Central title came with plenty of familiar caveats, but first base has emerged as one of the clearest offseason questions on the roster. Kyle Manzardo looked like part of the answer after his breakout in 2025, only to stumble offensively in 2026 and wind up back in Triple-A. The Guardians responded at the trade deadline by adding Nathaniel Lowe and Jo Adell, a sign they were willing to patch the spot quickly rather than wait for the bats to come around.
Now the bigger issue is what comes next. Manzardos future in Cleveland is uncertain, and prospect Ralphy Velazquez is expected to take over first base, which puts the organization in a position it likely did not expect when the season started. The Guardians have survived roster uncertainty before, but this one has the feel of a move that could reshape how they handle the position for the long haul. [Read more 🡒]
Guardians Need Someone Else To Deliver Their Big October Moment
The Guardians had plenty of pitching in place for a familiar playoff script, but the first game of the ALDS turned on the kind of offensive drought that can make even a solid performance feel hollow. Chicagos 3-0 win was driven by Munetaka Murakamis two-run homer, while Cleveland spent the night trying to solve a parade of White Sox arms, including Anthony Kay and Sean Burke, and never found the timely hit it needed.
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 🡒]