The Chicago White Sox claimed a 4-3 victory over the Cleveland Guardians in Game 2 of the American League Division Series on Monday, Oct. 5, 2026, at Progressive Field. Behind a tactical bullpen deployment and a sixth-inning double from Braden Montgomery, Chicago seized a 2-0 series lead.
Monday afternoon in Cleveland brought a familiar strategic puzzle for the Guardians, who found themselves tangled once again in Chicago’s unconventional pitching design. White Sox manager Will Venable turned to left-hander Anthony Kay as his opener for the second consecutive contest, leaning into a relief model that has baffled opposing hitters all October. The strategy relies on a high volume of pitchers entering and exiting games to prevent hitters from ever settling into a rhythm.
For Cleveland outfielder Jo Adell, the experience proved dizzying. Yeah, I mean, I was definitely put in a blender today for sure,
Adell said after an afternoon where he went 0-for-4 with four strikeouts from the cleanup spot. It’s difficult. You’re getting different looks out there to make it tough, and we’ve got adjust and find a way to do it.
Sean Burke Rescues Early Wildness
In the first inning, Steven Kwan and José Ramírez scored when relief pitcher Sean Newcomb fired a wild throw wide of first base on a play that also left Nathaniel Lowe safe and put runners in motion. That early miscue handed Cleveland a 2-0 advantage, marking the first time the White Sox had trailed in 27 postseason innings following their wild-card sweep of Houston and a 3-0 shutout in Game 1.
Yet the deficit vanished as right-hander Sean Burke settled into a dominant bulk-relief role.
Burke carried the visitors from the third inning into the eighth. He finished allowing only one run and one hit over 5 1/3 innings while striking out six and walking one. Burke had experienced a demotion to Triple-A Charlotte a little over a year prior, but on Monday he stabilized an outing that threatened to spin completely out of control in the opening frame while midges swarmed the Cleveland stadium.
Sean Burke said it is just another game and he is going to go out there and try to do what he can do to help the team win.
Braden Montgomery Delivers Sixth-Inning Double
Trailing 2-1 in the sixth inning after Munetaka Murakami had driven in Kyle Teel earlier in the contest, Chicago manufactured the decisive breakthrough against Guardians left-hander Erik Sabrowski. Braden Montgomery delivered the game’s biggest blow by hammering a first-pitch fastball down the right-field line for a two-out, two-run double that flipped a 2-1 deficit into a 3-2 lead.
Montgomery, selected by the Red Sox in the first round of the 2024 draft as a top-100 prospect, arrived as an unlikely postseason hero for a franchise that acquired him via the Garrett Crochet trade. The hit validated a mid-game roster maneuver by manager Will Venable. Montgomery had struggled against left-handers during the regular season, posting a .430 OPS, but his rigorous preparation in the batting cage paid off when it mattered most. Chase Meidroth followed with an RBI single to right field later in the frame, extending the lead to 4-2 and giving the bullpen enough cushion to withstand a late Cleveland push. Before that sixth-inning breakthrough, the White Sox had threatened when Miguel Vargas started the inning with a single.
Grant Taylor Survives Ninth-Inning Scare
Grant Taylor returned to the mound to secure the final outs despite having already thrown four dominant innings in Game 1. Cleveland nearly capitalized in the eighth when Jo Adell tripled to left field off Taylor, driving home Kyle DeLauter to cut the deficit to 4-3. Earlier in the frame, Adell had greeted Taylor with a first-pitch triple that narrowly missed clearing the wall for a game-tying home run.
The threat lingered into the final frame. With a runner on, Patrick Bailey drove a deep fly ball to center field that prompted Brenton Doyle to leap against the wall. Doyle secured the catch to end the game, sealing the one-run win and sending the White Sox home with a 2-0 series lead. Gavin Williams had shouldered the pitching load for Cleveland, racking up 11 strikeouts over five-plus innings.
White Sox Return Home for Game 3
The victory puts Chicago one win away from their first ALCS appearance since 2005.
Game 3 is scheduled for Wednesday at Rate Field in Chicago, where fans have been encouraged to participate in a “blackout” theme by wearing all-black clothing, reviving a tradition that dates back to 2008 for the franchise’s first home postseason game since 2021.