The Guardians are heading back to Rate Field with their season on the line, while the White Sox have a chance to close out the American League Division Series on their home turf Wednesday afternoon. Chicago took both games in Cleveland after the Guardians claimed the AL Central by one game, turning a division race that went Cleveland’s way into a postseason matchup now tilted heavily toward the South Side.
Game 3 is scheduled for 4 p.m. ET, 3 p.m. CT, with Chicago holding a 2-0 lead in the best-of-five series. A White Sox victory would send them to the American League Championship Series for the first time since 2005, the year they went 11-1 in the postseason and won the World Series.
Quick facts
- Game 3: Wednesday at 4 p.m. ET/3 p.m. CT at Rate Field.
- Television: TBS, truTV and HBO Max; UniMas will carry Spanish-language television coverage.
- Radio: ESPN Radio has national coverage, while TUDN Radio carries Spanish-language audio.
- Series situation: Chicago leads 2-0; Cleveland must win to extend its season.
- White Sox closer Grant Taylor saved both Chicago wins, including a four-inning save in the series opener.
- The White Sox will use their Blackout crowd theme for the potential clincher.
Chicago has not won a playoff series at home since 1906, when it beat the Cubs in six games for the World Series championship. A win Wednesday would end that long wait and give the White Sox another October milestone in front of their home fans.
Taylor said taking two games on the road had given Chicago a major lift, especially with the club now returning home with a chance to finish the job. His Game 2 appearance was brief — seven pitches Monday — leaving him in line to be available again if manager Will Venable needs the bullpen door opened late.
Cleveland has a road record worth remembering. The Guardians went 44-37 away from Progressive Field during the regular season, compared with 41-40 at home. Steven Kwan said the club has dealt with difficult stretches over the past two seasons and does not intend to press, with Tuesday’s off-day offering time to settle into Chicago and refocus.
Starter still unsettled for Cleveland
The Guardians had not named their Game 3 starter by Monday night. Tanner Bibee, Joey Cantillo and Foster Griffin were all possibilities, while Daniel Espino could again work as an opener. Each was available in relief during Game 2 but was not used.
Cantillo made a strong case for consideration in September. Working behind Espino in three outings, the left-hander yielded four hits and four walks across 15 scoreless innings, striking out 17. An Espino-Cantillo combination also would give Chicago changing looks early, with a left-hander potentially useful against a White Sox lineup carrying several left-handed bats.
Chicago’s pitching decision also remained unannounced. Rookie left-hander Hagen Smith, who started Saturday, is a logical candidate after throwing 5 2/3 scoreless innings over his two postseason starts. Venable’s postseason pitching approach has not been built around a strict opener arrangement, though Sean Burke has been the lone White Sox starter consistently left in games longer than the others.
Projected lineups and bullpen picture
Stephen Vogt could alter Cleveland’s lineup in search of more offense, but the Game 2 alignment remains the working expectation. The catching choice between Austin Hedges and Patrick Bailey will be tied to the pitching plan. David Fry could start at first if Chicago uses a left-hander for multiple innings, although Nathaniel Lowe may get the nod so Fry can remain available for a key pinch-hit opportunity.
| Guardians projected order | Position |
|---|---|
| Steven Kwan | CF |
| José Ramírez | 3B |
| Chase DeLauter | RF |
| Jo Adell | DH |
| Nathaniel Lowe | 1B |
| Angel Martínez | LF |
| Travis Bazzana | 2B |
| Patrick Bailey | C |
| Brayan Rocchio | SS |
Chicago’s projected order is built for a right-handed starter. The White Sox would make adjustments if Cleveland goes with a left-hander, as they did against Parker Messick in Game 1.
| White Sox projected order | Position |
|---|---|
| Sam Antonacci | LF |
| Kyle Teel | C |
| Miguel Vargas | 3B |
| Munetaka Murakami | 1B |
| Andrew Benintendi | DH |
| Chase Meidroth | 2B |
| Tristan Peters | CF |
| Braden Montgomery | RF |
| Colson Montgomery | SS |
For Cleveland, elimination means no one should be held back. Erik Sabrowski, Hunter Gaddis, Shawn Armstrong and Cade Smith are expected to be available despite pitching Monday, with Tuesday’s off-day giving Vogt a chance to deploy the entire relief corps.
Chicago is in the same all-hands frame of mind, with Taylor positioned as the late-inning option after his light Game 2 workload. Venable can chase the ALCS berth with any available arm if the game develops that way.
Cleveland needs its bats to wake up
The Guardians have produced only three runs on seven hits and eight walks in two games. Martínez is hitless in eight at-bats, Ramírez is 0-for-6 with two walks, and Kwan, Adell and Bazzana each have one hit in the series.
Adell’s contribution arrived in the eighth inning Monday, when his triple delivered his first career postseason hit and RBI. Cleveland had also put Chicago behind for the first time this postseason by scoring twice in the opening inning, but the lead did not last.
Vargas helped drive the White Sox back in Monday’s 4-3 win, drawing two walks and lining a single to left against Gavin Williams. Murakami homered in Game 1 and drove home Chicago’s first run in Game 2 with a single.
Braden Montgomery supplied the deciding swing Monday, drilling a two-run double to right. Venable praised Montgomery’s work from both sides of the plate, noting that the rookie had continued to prepare and compete through tougher results as a right-handed hitter before delivering the big hit.
Now the Guardians need one road win to stay alive. The White Sox need one more sharp afternoon to turn Rate Field into the site of their first home playoff clincher in 120 years.
