Cleveland’s October margin has narrowed to one game, and the Guardians will carry a 2-0 American League Division Series deficit to Chicago after Monday’s 4-3 loss to the White Sox at Progressive Field. Gavin Williams gave Cleveland the kind of start it needed, but the lineup again could not turn traffic on the bases into enough runs.
Key takeaways
- The White Sox hold a 2-0 advantage in the best-of-five ALDS, with Game 3 set for Wednesday at Rate Field.
- Cleveland has produced only three runs over 18 innings in the series.
- The Guardians are hitless in eight chances with runners in scoring position and have stranded 12 baserunners.
- Jo Adell drove in Cleveland’s only run after the first inning, tripling in the eighth.
- Teams that take a 2-0 lead in a best-of-five postseason matchup have won 83 of 93 series.
A familiar October problem returns
The Guardians opened Monday with a chance to seize control early. Steven Kwan started the first inning with a single, José Ramírez worked a walk, and Jo Adell was intentionally walked to load the bases with one out.
Cleveland came away with two runs, but not through a clean extra-base hit or a sustained rally. Nathaniel Lowe sent a slow roller back toward the mound, and Chicago pitcher Sean Newcomb made an errant throw beyond first baseman Munetaka Murakami. The misplay brought in two runs.
That was the last Cleveland scoring until the eighth. Adell, facing Grant Taylor, sent a ball to left that caromed high off the 19-foot wall and became an RBI triple. It was a needed jolt, though it was not enough to erase Chicago’s lead.
The bigger concern is the series-wide offensive picture. Cleveland has collected seven hits and drawn eight walks, yet has only three runs to show for it. The club’s 0-for-8 mark with runners in scoring position has left little room for its pitching staff to absorb a close defeat.
Chicago’s unconventional pitching usage has contributed to that discomfort. The White Sox have mixed openers and bulk relievers ahead of their principal starter or bulk arm, preventing Cleveland hitters from settling into one look for long.
One more chance to extend the season
Game 3 is scheduled for Wednesday at 4 p.m. ET, 3 p.m. CT, with TBS, truTV, UniMas and HBO Max carrying the game. Cleveland must win at Rate Field to bring the series back home.
The historical climb is steep. Clubs with a 2-0 edge in best-of-five postseason series have finished the job 83 times in 93 opportunities, an 89% rate. In the current 2-2-1 Division Series format, teams that captured the first two games on the road have advanced 17 times in 19 tries.
There is precedent for a reversal, including one Cleveland fans know well. The Yankees lost the first two games of the 2017 ALDS in Cleveland before recovering to win the series. The Blue Jays were the most recent club to lose Games 1 and 2 at home and still advance, doing so against the Rangers in the 2015 ALDS.
The Guardians need to find the version of their offense that appeared after the Aug. 3 additions of Adell and Lowe. Cleveland finished the regular season 24th in the majors at 4.19 runs per game, but ranked eighth in total runs after those acquisitions, scoring 232.
Adell’s late triple offered one small reminder of that improved group. To avoid an early trip into the offseason, the Guardians will need more than a reminder on Wednesday.
