Guardians Rally Past White Sox, Force Decisive Game 5 of ALDS

The Cleveland Guardians beat the Chicago White Sox 9-5 on Thursday night in Chicago, forcing a winner-take-all Game 5 in their American League Division Series.

José Ramírez homered and drove in three runs for Cleveland, which won for the second straight day after dropping the first two games of the series at home. Pinch-hitter Patrick Bailey also homered, and Jo Adell capped a six-run sixth inning with a two-run single.

Cleveland is trying to become the first major league team to erase a 2-0 deficit in a best-of-five playoff series since the 2017 New York Yankees did it — against Cleveland. Historically, teams that take a 2-0 lead in a best-of-five postseason series have won 83 of 93 times.

Game 5 shifts back to Cleveland on Saturday night.

Bullpen trouble for Chicago

Chicago’s bullpen, a strength during the team’s surprising season, faltered late. Grant Taylor, who had pitched 5 1/3 scoreless innings over the series’ first two games, was hit hard in the sixth inning Thursday, allowing four runs and four hits without recording an out against the six batters he faced during Cleveland’s rally.

Miguel Vargas homered late for the White Sox, who failed for the second straight time to clinch a postseason series at home — something the franchise hasn’t done since the 1906 World Series against the Chicago Cubs. Sam Antonacci drove in two runs for Chicago.

Gavin Williams, Cleveland’s Game 2 starter, recorded the final three outs in his first career relief appearance after Vargas opened the ninth with his first postseason homer. Williams could start Game 5 for the Guardians.

Ramírez sparks the comeback

Cleveland trailed 2-0 before rallying in the fifth inning. Bailey led off with a pinch-hit home run, and Steven Kwan singled to chase starter Erick Fedde from the game. Jordan Hicks entered in relief, and Ramírez drove a 99.9 mph fastball deep to right-center for his second homer since Sept. 1 — a span of 26 games. Ramírez had surgery after breaking a bone in his left hand on a swing June 13.

It was Ramírez’s first postseason homer since 2024, his fifth overall. He also had two hits and two RBIs in Cleveland’s 9-3 win in Game 3.

Chicago answered with two runs in the bottom of the fifth in front of a crowd of 39,920. Antonacci was hit by a pitch from Tim Herrin with the bases loaded, and Brenton Doyle added a sacrifice fly to make it 4-3. The White Sox loaded the bases again with two outs, but rookie Braden Montgomery struck out swinging against Erik Sabrowski.

Antonacci has been hit by a pitch 33 times this season, including a franchise-record 29 in the regular season. He became the first player in postseason history to be hit by a pitch with the bases loaded multiple times in a career, having also been plunked in that situation in Game 3.

Sixth-inning explosion

Anthony Kay started the sixth for Chicago but was pulled for Taylor after Travis Bazzana’s RBI double tied the game at 4. Bailey greeted Taylor with a run-scoring single, and Cleveland pulled away from there. Walks to Brayan Rocchio and Kwan loaded the bases for Ramírez, who delivered an infield single to make it 6-4. Chase DeLauter added another run-scoring single, and Adell capped the rally with a liner to right that drove in Kwan and Ramírez.

Adell, who hit a three-run triple in Cleveland’s Game 3 win, now has four hits, three walks and six RBIs in the series.