The Cleveland Guardians just pulled off an absolutely insane 9-5 road win against the Chicago White Sox in Game 4 of the ALDS, pushing this best-of-five series to a decisive Game 5. This is huge, especially after losing the first two games at home, and now they have taken both games in Chicago to force the issue. Talk about a comeback!
Back-and-Forth Rollercoaster
Man, this game was a wild ride from the jump. The White Sox jumped out to a 2-0 lead, and honestly, it felt like it might be another one of those low-scoring postseason nights. You know the trend, right? Teams scoring four or more runs were a perfect 17-0 in the playoffs heading into Thursday night. But the Guardians were not about to go down quietly. In the top of the fifth, Patrick Bailey launched a solo shot to cut the lead to 2-1. Then, José Ramírez absolutely crushed a two-run homer off White Sox reliever Jordan Hicks, flipping the script to give Cleveland a 3-2 lead.
But Chicago was not done. They responded immediately, getting a leadoff walk and then another one-out walk. Munetaka Murakami singled to left field to load the bases, and then Sam Antonacci got hit by a pitch to tie the game at 3-3. Brenton Doyle followed with a sacrifice fly to put the White Sox back in front, 4-3. Kyle Teel drew a walk to reload the bases, but then Guardians reliever Erik Sabrowski came in and got Braden Montgomery to strike out, ending the threat. That strikeout felt massive at the time, but we had no idea just how massive it really was.
The Sixth Inning Explosion
Dude, the sixth inning was something else. With one out, Guardians left fielder Angel Martínez got hit by a pitch, then promptly stole second. Travis Bazzana then laced a double, bringing Martínez home, and we were, as they say, off. Bailey followed with a single that scored the go-ahead run. Two walks then loaded the bases before Ramírez singled home another run, making it 6-4 Guardians. Chase DeLauter singled, making it 7-4, and the bases were still juiced! Jo Adell, that midseason acquisition who has been an RBI machine for Cleveland, including a three-RBI triple in Game 3, came through again with a two-RBI single. All of a sudden, it was 9-4 Guardians. Can you believe it? That was six runs in one inning to flip a one-run deficit into a five-run lead. Absolutely wild.
What’s Next for Cleveland and Chicago
After that explosion, the Guardians pretty much coasted. The White Sox did mount a bit of a rally in the ninth, with Miguel Vargas leading off the frame with a home run, but it was too little, too late. This win now forces a decisive Game 5 back in Cleveland on Saturday night. It is interesting to note that the White Sox have not clinched a postseason series at home since the 1906 World Series, but they are 5-0 in potential road clinchers (excluding 2020 when there were no fans). The stakes could not be higher, with the winner of Game 5 moving on to face the Tampa Bay Rays in the ALCS. You know we will be glued to the TV for that one!
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by CBS Sports.
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