CLEVELAND — On Saturday night, Gavin Williams struck out 12 batters, contributing to a total of 21 strikeouts by Cleveland pitchers, which set a new record. José Ramírez hit a crucial home run, lifting the Guardians to a 2-0 victory over the Chicago White Sox, turning around a series where they initially trailed 0-2 in their best-of-five AL Division Series.
With this win, Cleveland is set to face Tampa Bay in the AL Championship Series on Monday, hoping for their first World Series appearance since 2016.
The franchise has not secured a championship title since 1948, marking the longest dry spell among all MLB teams.
This performance established a new record for strikeouts in a nine-inning postseason game and is among the highest recorded in any regular or postseason game since 1900.
The White Sox struggled offensively, managing just three hits, and concluded the series with 75 strikeouts and a .185 batting average.
“It was really about attacking the zone rather than chasing pitches,” White Sox manager Will Venable commented. “We just didn’t have what it took to hit those balls.”
Cleveland becomes only the 11th team in history to win a best-of-five series after being down 0-2. This comeback is notable, as they are the first since the 2017 Yankees to achieve such a turnaround and only the fourth team to do this after losing the initial two games at home.
Two days after saving Game 4, Williams became just the third pitcher to end one postseason game and start the next when his team was facing elimination in both.
He didn’t give up a hit until Kyle Teel managed to hit a knuckle-curve into right field with two outs in the sixth inning, not long after Ramírez homered again, this time for a two-run shot off Sean Burke.
With the bases loaded following a walk, Erik Sabrowski stepped in and struck out Munetaka Murakami, showcasing impressive resilience.
Williams’ 12 strikeouts matched Cleveland’s postseason record for a single game. He logged an impressive 22 swings and misses, and his total of 24 strikeouts over the three games was just one shy of the record for a best-of-five series.
“That was really impressive stuff,” Guardians manager Stephen Vogt said. “To perform like this on such a significant stage, especially when facing elimination, speaks volumes about Williams.”
Hunter Gaddis pitched after Sabrowski and secured four outs, allowing Cade Smith to complete his first five-out save by striking out the side in the ninth. Smith’s fastball earned him the final out, initiating a celebration at Progressive Field.
The White Sox, who became the first team to reach the playoffs after three consecutive seasons of over 100 losses, last won the World Series in 2005.
Ramírez’s home run came from a pitch noted as being 0.74 feet above ground—the lowest for a postseason home run since MLB began tracking in 2008. This also marked the lowest pitch Ramírez has ever hit for a home run in his 14 years as a major leaguer.
Steven Kwan set up the scoring opportunity with a single to start the fourth inning, just before Ramírez hit his sixth postseason homer that barely cleared the right-field wall.
Murakami and Andrew Benintendi both struck out four times, while Teel and Chase Meidroth struck out three times each.
Up next
The Guardians will meet Tampa Bay, a team they went 5-1 against this season, including three shutouts.
This upcoming series will mark the third postseason encounter between the teams, following the Rays’ triumph in the 2013 wild card game and the Guardians’ sweep in the 2022 wild card series.
