Cleveland Guardians pitchers struck out a record 21 batters on Saturday, sealing a 2-0 victory over the Chicago White Sox in Game 5 at Progressive Field. José Ramírez provided the offense with a crucial home run, completing an American League Division Series comeback from an 0-2 deficit.
Some 37,000 fans packed the stadium for a decisive clash that ultimately turned on historic pitching and a single decisive swing from a franchise cornerstone. The Cleveland Guardians capped an improbable postseason turnaround on Saturday night, defeating the Chicago White Sox 2-0 in a winner-take-all Game 5 at Progressive Field to complete a series comeback after dropping the first two contests at home. The victory moves Cleveland into the American League Championship Series against the Tampa Bay Rays for their second trip to the round in the last three seasons. Some 37,000 fans packed the stadium This upcoming matchup marks the third time the two franchises will clash in the playoffs, following the Rays’ victory in the 2013 wild card game and the Guardians’ sweep during the 2022 Wild Card Series.
Guardians Pitchers Set Strikeout Records
Cleveland’s pitching staff dismantled the White Sox offense through sheer velocity and spin, striking out 21 batters in a nine-inning game to establish a new major league postseason record. Starting pitcher Gavin Williams set the tone by retiring batters in bunches, tossing 5.2 scoreless innings while allowing just one hit, two walks, and a hit batsman with 12 strikeouts.
Williams matched Charles Nagy’s 1996 franchise record for strikeouts in a postseason game while finishing the five-game series with 24 total strikeouts over 11.2 innings. In a winner-take-all postseason matchup, Williams’ strikeout total tied him with Cam Schlittler of the Yankees for the second-most by any pitcher, trailing only Tarik Skubal’s 13 strikeouts for the Tigers during Game 5 of the prior year’s ALDS. Williams matched Mordecai Brown and Hank Borowy—both formerly of the Cubs—as the only pitchers to secure the final out of one contest and subsequently start the following game while facing elimination in both instances.
The bullpen took over once Williams exited in the sixth inning after loading the bases.
That was big-boy stuff today,” says Cleveland manager Stephen Vogt of Williams. “That was, ‘I got you guys.
Stephen Vogt, Cleveland manager
The Chicago offense, which struck out 24.1% of the time in the regular season, saw that figure jump to 63.6% during the series finale. Across the five-game set, Cleveland pitching accumulated 75 strikeouts, 11 more than any other team in a best-of-five postseason series.
José Ramírez Hits Home Run
Offense proved scarce as starting pitchers Sean Burke and Williams locked into a duel, leaving the game scoreless through three frames. Ramírez stepped to the plate in the fourth inning.
Ramírez golfed a pitch from Burke just over the right-field wall.
Ramírez became the first Cleveland player to homer in consecutive postseason games while facing elimination in both, aiming for a World Series return a decade after his Cleveland squad came up just short in 2016.
We all love watching José play, and when he shows up like he has, it just makes all of us better,” Vogt said about his franchise player after Game 5. “He raises the energy.
Stephen Vogt, Cleveland manager
Cleveland Faces Tampa Bay
The triumph makes Cleveland just the 11th team in postseason history to overcome an 0-2 deficit in a best-of-five series, and the first since the New York Yankees accomplished the feat against Cleveland in 2017.
The physical toll of a five-game series leaves Cleveland’s pitching staff strained. Smith pitched in all five games of the series, recording his first career five-out save in the clincher. For Chicago, an unexpected playoff run built on three consecutive 100-loss seasons ended in the bitter disappointment of four straight losses.
“We are sitting in disappointment, and it hurts not to be able to advance. At the same time, you know, you do zoom out and look what this group accomplished and what they did to bring baseball back to White Sox and the pride back to the organization.”
Will Venable, Chicago manager