Guardians complete ALDS comeback against White Sox, beat record 21 batters to set date with Rays
No air conditioning is needed in Cleveland on Saturday night, as they feel the breeze from the Chicago White Sox bats.
Guardians pitchers combined to set a postseason record nine innings with 21 White Sox batters, as they completed their comeback after losing 2-0 in the American League Division Series to win Game 5, 2-0.
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Gavin Williams got the start for Cleveland and dominated from the jump – of the 21 batters he faced, 12 of them struck out. He pitched 5.2 scoreless innings, allowing just one hit, two walks and a hit batter.
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Gavin Williams #32 of the Cleveland Guardians reacts during Game 5 of the American League Division Series between the Chicago White Sox and the Cleveland Guardians at Progressive Field on Saturday, October 10, 2026, in Cleveland, Ohio. (MLB photos via Getty Images)
Williams hustled all night, but Jose Ramirez gave him a pretty good cushion, hitting a two-run home run in the fourth inning. The pitch was 8.88 inches off the ground, the lowest for a postseason home run since at least 2008 and the lowest of Ramirez’s career.
That was all the Guardians needed, as Williams got five more outs and the bullpen took care of the rest. Erik Sabrowski, Evan Gaddis and Cade Smith combined to get the final 10 outs, striking out nine in the process (Sabrowski retired the only batter he faced, and Gaddis and Smith each struck out eight batters).
José Ramírez #11 of the Cleveland Guardians hits a two-run home run in the fourth inning of Game 5 of the American League Division Series against the Chicago White Sox at Progressive Field on October 10, 2026 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Getty Images)
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Ramirez is a hero after a rather difficult season. His .235 average, .320 on-base percentage and .368 slugging percentage were all his lowest marks since 2015, when he spent some of his time in Triple-A. He started the Series 0-for-6, but went 5-for-12 in the final three, with two homers, a triple and a double.
The White Sox were prone to strikeouts throughout the season, having the fifth-highest strikeout rate in the league, but this was another level. In the regular season, they struck out 24.1% of the time, but that number rose to 63.6% on Saturday.
Cleveland lost the first two games of the series on its home field, giving the White Sox a chance to win a series at home for the first time since 1906. But alas, they will now return home after Cleveland won three straight playoff games.
The Guardians will face the Tampa Bay Rays in the American League Championship Series, their second appearance in the round in the last three seasons. The Rays just swept their AL East rival, the New York Yankees.
Cade Smith #36 of the Cleveland Guardians throws a pitch during the eighth inning of Game 5 of the American League Division Series against the Chicago White Sox at Progressive Field on October 10, 2026, in Cleveland, Ohio. (Getty Images)
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The ALCS begins Monday in Florida, and the winner will face either the Los Angeles Dodgers, who are trying to three-peat, or the Milwaukee Brewers, whose small-market operations will try to dethrone the champions.
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