Jose Ramirez put the Cleveland Guardians ahead with a two-run homer, helping the team overcome an 0-2 deficit to beat the Chicago White Sox 2-0 and win the best-of-five American League Division Series. Gavin Williams struck out 12 and became only the third pitcher in postseason history to record the final out of one game and start the next when his team faced elimination in both. Ramirez’s blast came off a knuckle-curve just 0.74 feet above home plate, the lowest pitch hit for a postseason home run since Statcast tracking began in 2008. Cleveland pitchers struck out 21 batters, the most in a nine-inning postseason game, while Chicago managed just three hits and 75 strikeouts across the series.
Cleveland will open the AL Championship Series at the Tampa Bay Rays on Monday night, seeking its first World Series appearance since 2016. The Guardians have not won a title since 1948, the longest drought among MLB franchises. Ramirez homered for the second straight game, connecting with a two-run drive off Sean Burke in the sixth inning after Steven Kwan singled to lead off the fourth.
Hunter Gaddis and Cade Smith contributed in relief, with Smith earning his first career five-out save by striking out the side in the ninth. Chicago, the first team to reach the playoffs after three consecutive 100-loss seasons, has not won the World Series since 2004. Tampa Bay went 5-1 against Cleveland during the regular season, including a three-game sweep at Tropicana Field in July.
Source: ESPN General · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing