The Cleveland Guardians rallied with six runs in the sixth inning to beat the Chicago White Sox 9-5 on Thursday night, forcing a decisive Game 5 in the ALDS back in Cleveland on Saturday. After dropping the first two games at home, the Guardians have now won two straight on the road to keep their postseason hopes alive.
The White Sox took an early 2-0 lead and appeared in control through five innings, holding a 4-3 advantage after some late-inning damage. The Guardians cut the deficit in the top of the fifth when Patrick Bailey hit a solo home run and José Ramírez followed with a two-run homer off reliever Jordan Hicks to turn the score in Cleveland’s favor, 3-2.
Chicago responded quickly. Munetaka Murakami’s single loaded the bases, and a hit-by-pitch from Sam Antonacci tied the game at 3-3. Brenton Doyle’s sacrifice fly gave the White Sox a 4-3 lead, but after Kyle Teel’s walk to reload the bases, Erik Sabrowski struck out Braden Montgomery to end the threat.
That strikeout proved decisive as the Guardians erupted in the sixth inning. Angel Martínez was hit by a pitch and stole second, then Travis Bazzana doubled him home to tie the game. Bailey followed with an RBI single to give Cleveland the lead. Two walks loaded the bases before Ramírez singled home another run for a 6-4 advantage. Chase DeLauter’s single made it 7-4, and Jo Adell, a midseason acquisition who had three RBIs in Game 3, delivered a two-run single to extend the lead to 9-4.
The White Sox managed a late rally in the ninth when Miguel Vargas hit a leadoff home run. That homer forced a pitching change for Cleveland and brought more runners to the plate, but the Guardians held on to secure the win.
Cleveland’s offense had struggled early in the series, scoring just three runs in two games at home. The back-to-back nine-run performances on the road marked their first pair of nine-run games in the postseason and included their first two home runs of the playoffs.
Pitching decisions for the deciding game remain uncertain. Gavin Williams, who started Game 2 and finished Game 4, threw 18 pitches in relief after Cade Smith gave up a homer in the ninth. Williams was expected to start Game 5, but his late work Thursday night could limit his innings. After the win, Williams told WKYC, "I'm good to go. It doesn't matter. Whatever they need me to do, I'll do it. If I got to start, I'll start. If I need to come out of the pen, I'll come out of the pen."
Other pitching options for Cleveland include Tanner Bibee, who pitched in relief in Game 4 but hasn’t started in the postseason, and Foster Griffin, who threw 53 pitches in Game 3. Parker Messick started Game 4 but struggled.
For Chicago, Sean Burke is the likely starter for Game 5. He pitched 5 ⅓ innings in relief in Game 2, allowing one run and striking out six. Burke went 11-7 with a 3.34 ERA during the regular season.
The White Sox have yet to clinch a postseason series at home since the 1906 World Series and remain winless in potential home clinchers this postseason, sitting at 0-5. Meanwhile, they are unbeaten in potential road clinchers, a pattern that could shape the upcoming game.
Game 5 will decide who advances to face the Tampa Bay Rays in the ALCS, with the Guardians now holding momentum after their sixth-inning surge and the White Sox aiming to snap their home postseason drought.
According to CBS.
