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The Cleveland Guardians have completed a remarkable turnaround in the American League Division Series, erasing a 2-0 deficit to eliminate the Chicago White Sox. Their comeback was sealed with a dominant pitching performance in Game 5, propelling them to the American League Championship Series.
According to MLB's Sarah Langs, the Guardians are just the 11th team in Division Series history to overcome a 2-0 hole, and the fourth to do so after dropping the first two games. As the No. 2 seed, Cleveland will now face the top-seeded Tampa Bay Rays in the ALCS. This marks the first time since the MLB postseason expanded to six teams that both the ALCS and NLCS feature the top two seeds in each league. In the National League, the Milwaukee Brewers and Los Angeles Dodgers are set to meet in only the second NLCS ever contested between two 100-win teams.
Gavin Williams Dominates White Sox With Career Night
Gavin Williams, who closed out Game 4 of the ALDS, showed no signs of fatigue in Game 5. The right-hander delivered a stellar performance, tossing 5.2 scoreless innings while striking out 12 batters. Per Langs, Williams became the second pitcher to record at least 24 strikeouts in a division series, joining Gerrit Cole, who had 25 in the 2019 ALDS. Williams had struck out 10 in Game 1 and two in Game 4, bringing his total to 24.
José Ramírez Slugs Historic Home Run for Game's Only Runs
José Ramírez provided all the offense the Guardians needed, launching a two-run home run off Sean Burke. The superstar third baseman golfed a two-strike curveball that was headed for the dirt, sending it out of the park. According to MLB Stats, the pitch was just 0.74 feet above the ground, setting a postseason record for the lowest pitch hit for a home run. Ramírez caught fire at the end of the series, going 5-for-12 with two home runs in Games 3-5. He also became the first player in franchise history to homer in consecutive elimination games, per MLB.
Cleveland's Bullpen Caps Historic Strikeout Night in Clincher
With a lead in hand, the Guardians bullpen shut the door on the White Sox. Erik Sabrowski, Hunter Gaddis, and Cade Smith combined for nine strikeouts over 3.1 innings. Smith earned a five-out save, striking out four of those batters. It was fitting that pitching carried the day, as the Guardians set multiple postseason strikeout records in Game 5. They struck out 21 batters in the nine-inning game, the most in a nine-inning game in regular and postseason history, per Langs. Their 75 strikeouts in the ALDS are the most in a best-of-five postseason series.
This will be the Guardians' fourth ALCS appearance since 2007. In all four instances, they have faced an American League East opponent. Their previous three ALCS matchups went as follows: in 2007, they lost to the Boston Red Sox 4-3; in 2016, they defeated the Toronto Blue Jays 4-1; and in 2024, they fell to the New York Yankees 4-1.