Chicago White Sox’s Colson Montgomery rounds the bases after his three-run home run during the second inning of a baseball game against the Tampa Bay Rays Wednesday, July 23, 2025, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Jason Behnken)
Early Cleveland surge sets the tone
The Cleveland Guardians struck first on October 5, 2026, jumping ahead 2–0 in the opening inning. Steven Kwan reached, José Ramírez followed, and Nathaniel Lowe hit a chopper that turned into chaos. Sean Newcomb’s throw sailed wide, allowing both runners to score and giving Cleveland early momentum. It was the kind of inning that usually tilts a postseason game, but Chicago refused to fold.
Gavin Williams dominated the early frames for Cleveland, firing 100‑plus mph fastballs and piling up 11 strikeouts through five innings. His command and velocity kept Chicago quiet until the fourth, when Munetaka Murakami delivered a clean RBI single to right, scoring Kyle Teel and trimming the deficit to 2–1.
Chicago’s pitching settles in
After Newcomb’s shaky first inning, the White Sox turned to Sean Burke, who delivered one of the most important relief outings of Chicago’s postseason. Burke allowed just one hit across 5.1 innings, striking out six and stabilizing the game. His mix of sliders and elevated fastballs kept Cleveland’s hitters guessing and prevented any extended rallies. Grant Taylor closed the door with 1.1 innings of steady work, allowing only one run on Jo Adell’s late triple.
The decisive sixth inning
Chicago’s breakthrough came in the sixth. Miguel Vargas opened the inning with a single, chasing Williams from the game. After a groundout and a walk, a wild pitch moved runners to second and third. With two outs, Braden Montgomery attacked the first pitch he saw from Erik Sabrowski, lining a two‑run double down the right‑field line to give Chicago a 3–2 lead.
Moments later, Chase Meidroth dropped a soft single into right, scoring Montgomery and extending the lead to 4–2. It was a complete momentum flip: Cleveland’s bullpen faltered, Chicago’s lineup stayed patient, and the Guardians suddenly found themselves trailing.
Cleveland’s last push falls short
Cleveland made one final push in the eighth when Adell tripled to left, scoring Chase DeLauter and cutting the lead to 4–3. But Taylor induced quiet contact the rest of the way, and Chicago held on to move within one win of the ALCS.
