The Cleveland Guardians are one loss from elimination after the Chicago White Sox edged them 4-3 in Game 2 of the American League Division Series on Monday night at Progressive Field.
Cleveland had the game in hand early. The Guardians were up 2-0 after three innings and still held a 2-1 edge after five, but Chicago turned everything in the sixth with three runs and never let go.
The White Sox, who finished one game behind the Guardians in the division during the regular season, now need just one more win to reach the League Championship Series. The next two games are set for Rate Field.
Gavin Williams gave Cleveland exactly what it needed on the mound in terms of swing-and-miss stuff, striking out 11 over 5+ innings. But the trouble kept finding him.
He allowed the first runner to reach in each of his last three innings, and it all caught up in the sixth. Williams gave up two runs on four hits and three walks and finished with a no-decision.
The Guardians’ offense, meanwhile, never gave itself much room to breathe. Cleveland managed only four hits all night, and two of its runs in the first inning came on an error by Sean Newcomb.
Steven Kwan started the game with a single, then moved to second when Jose Ramirez walked. Chase DeLauter grounded out, ending Anthony Kay’s short start, and Jo Adell was intentionally walked to load the bases with one out.
Nathaniel Lowe followed with a slow chopper back to the mound, but Newcomb’s throw to first sailed off line, letting Kwan and Ramirez score and putting the Guardians ahead 2-0. That ended up being the high point for Cleveland’s offense.
Williams looked sharp through the early innings before the top of the fourth changed the tone. A single and a walk put two on for Munetaka Murakami, who singled home a run to cut the lead to 2-1.
The sixth inning brought the decisive swing. Stephen Vogt stuck with Williams, but after Miguel Vargas led off with a single, Erik Sabrowski took over and immediately ran into trouble.
Sabrowski got Murakami to ground out, then walked Randal Grichuk and uncorked a wild pitch that moved the runners to second and third. Tommy Pham battled to a 3-1 count before flying out to left for the second out, giving Cleveland a chance to escape. Braden Montgomery shut that door with a line drive near the right-field line that dropped for a two-run double.
That put Chicago in front. Chase Meidroth added another run with an RBI single off Hunter Gaddis, stretching the White Sox lead to 4-2.
Cleveland got a spark in the eighth when Jo Adell ripped a long RBI triple against Grant Taylor, scoring DeLauter and pulling the Guardians within 4-3. Progressive Field woke up there, but the comeback stopped short.
The Guardians put loud contact in play in the ninth, but every ball found a glove. Now they head into Wednesday needing to win to keep their season alive.
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 🡒]