White Sox, Guardians Face Winner-Take-All ALDS Game 5 as Chicago Seeks First Decider Win
Updated
Updated · South Side Sox · Oct 11
White Sox, Guardians Face Winner-Take-All ALDS Game 5 as Chicago Seeks First Decider Win
3 articles · Updated · South Side Sox · Oct 11
Summary
Game 5 in Cleveland sends the White Sox into only the second winner-take-all postseason game in their 126-year history, with Sean Burke starting on full rest against Gavin Williams.
Williams enters after throwing an inning in Cleveland’s 9-3 Game 4 win, a workload Chicago’s side argues trims his expected outing and weakens what had been a late-series pitching edge.
Burke gave the White Sox their best start of the series in Game 2, allowing 1 hit and 1 run over 5 1/3 innings while retiring 13 straight batters — a club postseason record.
Seventeen meetings between the AL Central rivals have produced a 9-8 White Sox edge, a five-run aggregate gap, 13 games decided by three runs or fewer and four walk-off finishes.
The decider caps a series swing from Chicago’s 2-0 lead to Cleveland forcing a finale, with lineup choices and bullpen durability now likely to shape who reaches the ALCS.