White Sox rally in front of Guardians bullpen and spoil Gavin Williams’ 11-out effort for 2-0 ALDS lead
For five innings on Monday, Cleveland Guardians ace Gavin Williams pitched an unforgettable playoff game.
Then the Chicago White Sox rallied behind the Cleveland bullpen to spoil Williams’ 11 strikeouts and earn a 4-3 victory in Game 2 of the ALDS.
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With this victory, the White Sox swept the first two games of the series on the road. They will head to Chicago with a 2-0 series lead and two chances to close out the best-of-five series at home, with a spot in the ALCS on the line.
White Sox bullpen game for victory again
The White Sox countered Williams with another bullpen game that got off to a rough start when Cleveland’s first two baserunners scored. From there, Chicago’s bullpen largely stymied Cleveland, led by 5 1/3 innings of a Sean Burke hit, which carried Chicago from the third to the eighth.
Burke left the mound after delivering a two-out single to Chase DeLauter in the eighth. DeLauter then scored on a Jo Adell triple off Grant Taylor that narrowly missed the high wall in center field.
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But Taylor settled in to secure the final out of the frame before making a four-out save in the ninth.
Sox spoil Williams’ big day
At the plate, rookie slugger Munetaka Murakami delivered again, this time with an RBI single in the fourth against Williams to put the White Sox on the board and cut Cleveland’s lead to 2-1.
Williams didn’t wilt with two men up and no outs. He closed the game with three straight outs, including two strikeouts. He then struck out the team in the fifth to bring his strikeout total to 11 in five innings, one short of tying Cleveland’s record in a playoff game (Charles Nagy had 12 in 1996).
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But he delivered a leadoff single to Miguel Vargas in the sixth. And at 98 pitches, his day was over. Manager Stephen Vogt lured him in favor of reliever Erik Sabrowski, a move that immediately backfired.
Sabrowski issued a one-out walk to backup hitter Randal Grichuk. He then allowed a double with two outs and two RBIs to Braden Montgomery.
With this, the score and storyline of the game were reversed. Williams’ brilliant leadoff effort on the mound was wasted and the White Sox turned a 2-1 deficit into a 3-2 lead.
Chase Meidroth added an insurance run against Sabrowski on a single that scored Montgomery from second. That RBI proved to be the difference in Chicago’s 4-3 victory.
Great effort from Burke
Although it accounted for Cleveland’s final run in the eighth, Burke’s effort on the mound punctuated a four-pitcher effort of the game from the Chicago bullpen. He and Sean Newcomb set up the staff after opener Anthony Kay managed just one out while giving up two runs (one earned).
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Burke finished the game allowing 1 earned run on 1 hit and 1 walk with 6 strikeouts in 5 1/3 innings.
The victory leaves Chicago on the cusp of another remarkable milestone. After three straight 100+ losing seasons, the White Sox are now 4-0 in their first postseason appearance since 2021. With one more win, they will advance to their first ALCS since winning the World Series in 2005.
Williams, meanwhile, is dealing with disappointment alongside his Guardians teammates after starting the day with a historic day on the mound.
Patrick Bailey flies to the wall, but Brenton Doyle is there, and it’s game on.
Grant Taylor records a 4-out save two days after recording a 4-inning save, and the White Sox have a 2-0 lead in the ALDS. They return home to Chicago with a chance to win Game 3 on Wednesday.
Bazzana makes it appear, and it’s been two years.
Martinez cuts a grounder to first base, and it’s number 1.
Cade Smith makes quick work of the White Sox in the top of the ninth, 1-2-3, and we head into the bottom of the ninth.
The Guardians need one point to equalize, two to win.
Cleveland just scared the Sox and made this game a little closer.
Jo Adell came in on Taylor’s first pitch and hit a triple, scoring DeLauter and making it a 1-run game.
The tying run was on third, but Nathaniel Lowe flied out in the next at-bat, and that’s the end of the eighth inning.
With two outs in the eighth, Sean Burke allowed a single to DeLauter, and that would be the end of the game for him. He allowed 1 hit and 1 walk in 5 1/3 innings and gave up 13 in a row.
Grant Taylor, one of the heroes of Game 1 for Chicago, comes in with 4 outs needed.
Sean Burke is up to 15 outs without allowing a hit to the White Sox.
Steven Kwan lined out on a nice catch from Sam Antonacci for the first out of the bottom of the eighth.
Shawn Armstrong pitched a 1-2-3 in the top of the eighth and Chicago’s lead was 4-2. Cleveland has six outs to rally.
Jason Owens
Sean Burke pitched another 1-2-3 frame and has yet to allow a hit in 4 2/3 relief.
Chicago’s lead remains at 4-2 after seven innings, and the Guardians are down to their final six outs.
Jason Owens
After giving up the lead in the sixth, the Guardians came out of the seventh without further damage in a combined 1-2-3 frame from their bullpen.
But they need runs and have nine outs to rally or head to Chicago in an 0-2 series hole. The White Sox lead 4-2 in the seventh inning.
Jason Owens
Sean Burke went 1-2-3 in the bottom of the sixth for Chicago, and the White Sox took a 4-2 lead into the seventh.
Burke is up to 3 2/3 shutout innings without allowing a hit, and the White Sox are in control.
Jason Owens
The scenario has reversed.
With Hunter Gaddis now on the mound, Chase Meidroth delivered another run for Chicago with a single to score Braden Montgomery, and a 2-1 Guardians lead turned into a 4-2 White Sox lead in the sixth.
The Sox are suddenly 12 outs from a 2-0 ALDS lead as the series heads to Chicago for Game 3.
Disaster for the Guardians.
Erik Sabrowski replaced Gavin Williams with a runner on first and no outs with the Guardians up 2-1. Sabrowski then walked, threw a wild pitch and gave up a 2-run double to Braden Montgomery. He got two outs in the process, but the damage was done, as Montgomery’s double gave the White Sox a 3-2 lead.
Sabrowski’s day is also over. And reasonable doubts will ensue over Stephen Vogt’s decision to take Gavin Williams out of a good start at 98 pitches.
Gavin Williams pitched five brilliant innings, but his day was over.
Miguel Vargas worked seven pitches on Williams before a leadoff single in the sixth, and Guardians manager Stephen Vogt had seen enough. Erik Sabrowski comes out of the bullpen with a man on first and no outs.
Williams’ day ended with 98 pitches and 11 K’s, one out short of tying Cleveland’s playoff record.
As it stands, Williams’ line reads: 5 innings, 4 hits, 1 run (earned), 3 walks and 11 strikeouts on 98 pitches (59 for strikes).
Jason Owens
It’s been a pitching duel since the Guardians scored their first two baserunners of the game.
Sean Burke just pitched a 1-2-3 in the bottom of the fifth and is 2 2/3 shutout innings since coming on in relief. Cleveland’s lead remains 2-1.
Gavin Williams is busy. He allowed a leadoff single, then retired three straight Chicago batters in the fifth.
He is now up to 11 strikeouts in five innings, one K away from tying Charles Nagy’s team record of 12 strikeouts in a playoff game.
Williams’ Guardians lead 2-1 late in the fifth.
Jason Owens
Sean Burke allowed a walk with one out, but no further damage in the bottom of the fourth. Chicago’s pitching staff settled in and Cleveland’s lead remained at 2-1 through four innings.
Munetaka Murakami continues to stand out for the White Sox.
The All-Star rookie slugger delivered in the fourth inning with an RBI single after Kyle Teel singled and Miguel Vargas walked to start the frame. Murakami has up to three RBIs in the ALDS.
But the White Sox couldn’t do more with two men on and no outs. Gavin Williams recorded three straight outs, including two more strikeouts, to come out of trouble with a 2-1 lead intact.
Williams has up to eight strikeouts in four innings.
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