CHICAGO — Facing elimination and an early deficit, the Guardians finally found the offense they had been waiting for all series.
Cleveland beat the Chicago White Sox 9-3 Wednesday afternoon at Rate Field, cutting Chicago’s lead in the American League Division Series to 2-1 and forcing a Game 4 on Thursday. After scoring only three runs and collecting seven hits across the first two games, the Guardians erupted for nine runs on 11 hits while their pitching staff struck out 19 White Sox hitters.
Chicago struck first against opener Daniel Espino in the bottom of the first. Sam Antonacci walked, Miguel Vargas singled, and Kyle Teel doubled home Antonacci to give the White Sox a 1-0 lead.
Cleveland’s response came in the third, and for the first time in the series, the offense looked like the group that carried the Guardians to the AL Central title.
Travis Bazzana opened the inning with a walk, Brayan Rocchio singled, and Steven Kwan tied the game with an RBI single to left. José Ramírez then walked to load the bases. Chase DeLauter grounded into a force play that erased Rocchio at home, but Jo Adell made sure the opportunity did not disappear.
Adell ripped a bases-clearing triple into the right-field corner, scoring Kwan, Ramírez, and DeLauter to give Cleveland a 4-1 lead. It was Adell’s second triple of the series after he narrowly missed a game-tying home run in Game 2.
The White Sox cut the lead to 4-2 in the fourth when Chase Meidroth doubled and scored on Tristan Peters’ double, but Cleveland immediately answered again in the fifth.
Ramírez doubled to left, stole third, and scored on DeLauter’s fielder’s choice to restore a three-run lead. After entering the game 0-for-6 in the series, Ramírez finally began affecting the game in every way the Guardians needed.
Cleveland’s pitching staff had to work through several dangerous moments to protect the advantage.
Foster Griffin followed Espino and provided 2? important innings, allowing one run while helping bridge the game to the bullpen. Shawn Armstrong got the final two outs of the fourth before Joey Cantillo handled the fifth and part of the sixth.
Chicago made its strongest push in the sixth.
Braden Montgomery walked, Randal Grichuk singled, and Colson Montgomery was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Hunter Gaddis then hit Antonacci with a pitch, forcing home a run and cutting Cleveland’s lead to 5-3.
With the bases still loaded, Ramírez made one of the defensive plays of the game, diving to his left at third base to snare Miguel Vargas’ line drive and end the inning. What had looked like the beginning of a potential Chicago rally instead ended with Cleveland still holding a two-run lead.
The Guardians’ bullpen took over from there.
Tim Herrin struck out the side in the seventh, and Cleveland finally created some breathing room in the eighth. Bazzana walked, Patrick Bailey singled, and Rocchio moved both runners over with a sacrifice bunt. Ramírez then delivered the biggest hit of his postseason, driving a two-run triple to left that extended the lead to 7-3.
Cleveland added two more runs in the ninth. Nathaniel Lowe and Petey Halpin walked before Angel Genao doubled home Lowe. Rocchio followed with an RBI single to score Halpin and make it 9-3.
Cade Smith finished the job in dominant fashion. He struck out two in a perfect eighth, then struck out the side in the ninth to end it.
The Guardians finished the game with 19 strikeouts, the most ever by a pitching staff in a nine-inning postseason game. Smith recorded five of them in his two innings, Herrin struck out all three hitters he faced, and Cleveland never allowed Chicago to mount another serious threat after the sixth.
Ramírez finished 2-for-4 with a double, triple, two RBIs, two runs scored, a walk, and a stolen base. Adell drove in three runs, while Rocchio had two hits and an RBI.
After two games in which Cleveland’s offense could barely generate anything, Game 3 looked completely different. The Guardians produced runs early, answered Chicago every time the White Sox threatened, and finally gave their pitching staff some room to work.
They are still one loss from elimination.
But for the first time in the series, Cleveland looked like the team that won the division.
What’s Next
Cleveland and Chicago meet again Thursday at 5 p.m. ET at Rate Field in Game 4 of the ALDS. Left-hander Parker Messick is scheduled to start for the Guardians, while the White Sox have not yet announced their starter. Chicago leads the best-of-five series 2-1.
