Guardians rally late to level ALDS at 2‑2
Cleveland Guardians turned a 2‑0 deficit into a 9‑5 victory over the Chicago White Sox on Thursday night, forcing a winner‑take‑all Game 5 in their American League Division Series. The win came after the Guardians had lost the first two games of the series at home, marking the first time since the 2017 New York Yankees overturned a 2‑0 hole against Cleveland that a team has climbed back in a best‑of‑five playoff set.
The turning point arrived in the sixth inning, when Cleveland erupted for six runs. Pinch‑hitter Patrick Bailey opened the frame with a solo home run, followed by a one‑out single from Steven Kwan that put runners on first and second. After a brief Chicago response, reliever Grant Taylor entered the game and was immediately hit hard, surrendering four runs and four hits without retiring a single batter.
José Ramírez delivered the blow that broke the game open. Facing a 99.9 mph fastball from Taylor, he drove the ball deep to right‑centre for his second home run since early September, a span of 26 games. The shot cleared the fence and gave Cleveland a 6‑4 lead. Ramírez’s blast was his first postseason homer since 2024 and the fifth of his career.
White Sox fight back but fall short
Chicago refused to fold, answering with two runs in the bottom of the sixth. Sam Antonacci, who had been hit by a pitch earlier in the inning with the bases loaded, was plunked again, marking the first time in postseason history a player has been hit by a pitch with the bases loaded on multiple occasions. Brenton Doyle then lifted a sacrifice fly to make it 4‑3.
The White Sox loaded the bases with two outs, but rookie Braden Montgomery swung and missed at a pitch from Erik Sabrowski, ending the threat. Antonacci’s night summed up a season in which he has been hit by pitches 33 times, including a franchise‑record 29 during the regular season.
Miguel Vaughn added a late solo home run for Chicago in the ninth, but the damage had already been done. Gavin Williams, who started Game 2, recorded the final three outs in relief – his first career appearance out of the bullpen – and could be called upon to start Game 5.
Key performances shape the series narrative
Jo Adell capped Cleveland’s six‑run outburst with a liner to right that drove in Kwan and Ramírez, extending his impressive run in the series. Adell already boasted a three‑run triple in Game 3 and now sits with four hits, three walks and six RBIs overall.
Patrick Bailey’s pinch‑hit home run not only sparked the rally but also gave the Guardians their second straight win after opening the series with two losses. Steven Kwan’s timely single and Brayan Rocchio’s walk helped load the bases for Ramírez’s decisive blow.
On the mound, Grant Taylor’s struggle after five and one‑third scoreless innings in the first two games exposed a sudden fatigue in Chicago’s bullpen, a unit that had been touted as one of the team’s biggest strengths during a surprising regular season.
Why it Matters
The Guardians’ ability to force a Game 5 keeps alive the hope of becoming the first franchise since the 2017 Yankees to overturn a 2‑0 deficit in a best‑of‑five playoff series. It also underscores the volatility of postseason bullpens, showing that even a strong relief corps can falter under pressure. For the White Sox, the loss ends a bid to clinch a series at home for the first time since 1906, highlighting how narrow margins can shift momentum in a single inning. As the teams prepare for Saturday night’s showdown in Cleveland, the series now hangs on whether Cleveland can capitalize on its momentum or if Chicago can regroup and reclaim the advantage.
