CLEVELAND — The Cleveland Guardians completed a stunning comeback on Saturday night, beating the Chicago White Sox 2-0 in Game 5 to win the American League Division Series after falling behind 0-2 — and they will now face the Tampa Bay Rays in the ALCS, according to MLB.
Cleveland’s pitchers struck out 21 Chicago batters, a postseason record for a nine-inning game. Starter Gavin Williams was dominant, striking out 12 over 5.2 scoreless innings before handing the game to a bullpen that slammed the door.
The game’s only offense came in the fourth inning, when Jose Ramirez launched a two-run home run that proved to be the difference. The White Sox never recovered, managing nothing against a Guardians staff that seemed to get stronger as the night went on.
How it happened
Few teams climb out of an 0-2 hole in a best-of-five series — the Guardians are now among the rare few. Down to their last breath after dropping the first two games, Cleveland won three straight elimination games behind a pitching staff that posted eye-popping strikeout numbers when it mattered most. Williams’ 12-strikeout gem set the tone in the winner-take-all finale, and the bullpen needed only to protect a two-run lead that Ramirez’s fourth-inning blast had provided.
The 21-strikeout performance in a nine-inning Game 5 will go into the record books as a postseason benchmark. Next up: a date with the Rays in the American League Championship Series, with a trip to the World Series on the line. For a franchise still chasing its first championship since 1948, Saturday night’s comeback will be remembered as the night Cleveland refused to go home.
