The Cleveland Guardians suffered, without a doubt, the most painful loss of their season on Monday. They led 2-0 after three innings and 2-1 after five, but the Chicago White Sox flipped the score with three runs in the sixth inning and took Game 2 of the American League Division Series 4-3 at Progressive Field.
The White Sox, who finished the regular season one game behind the Guardians in the division, are now one win away from the League Championship Series, with the next two being played at Rate Field. It’s a nightmarish scenario for Cleveland, who couldn’t win any of the games started by Parker Messick and Gavin Williams.
Regroup.#GuardsBall | #StandGuard pic.twitter.com/J6itsW1nWv
— Cleveland Guardians (@CleGuardians) October 6, 2026
Williams certainly brought the strikeout stuff on Monday night, fanning 11 in 5+ innings, but allowed the first runner to reach base in each of his last three innings, and it came back to bite him in the sixth. He allowed two runs on four hits and three walks in the no-decision.
Once again, the Guardians’ offense was an unmitigated disaster. Two of the runs they scored in the first inning came as a result of an error by Sean Newcomb, and they racked up just four hits all night.
Steven Kwan opened the game with a single and advanced to second on Jose Ramirez’s walk. Chase DeLauter grounded out, which marked the end of Anthony Kay’s brief start. Jo Adell was intentionally walked to load the bases with one out.
Nathaniel Lowe then hit a slow chopper to the pitcher, but Newcomb’s throw to first was off target, allowing Kwan and Ramirez to give the Guardians an early 2-0 lead. It’s too bad they couldn’t do much else during the whole game.
Williams was in All-Star form until the top of the fourth. A single and a walk put two men on base for Munetaka Murakami, who singled to cut the Guardians’ lead in half. The real nightmare came in the top of the sixth, though.
Stephen Vogt stuck with his workhorse, but he took Williams out when Miguel Vargas hit a leadoff single in the sixth. Erik Sabrowski then entered the game and, unfortunately, had nothing tonight.
The left-hander forced Murakami to ground out, but issued a walk to Randal Grichuk and then threw a wild pitch that put runners in second and third. Tommy Pham worked the count to 3-1, but flew out to left, giving Sabrowski the second out and a chance to get out of the jam. Braden Montgomery, however, had other plans.
The White Sox rookie hit a line drive near the right field line that fell for a two-run, go-ahead double. Just like that, Cleveland lost the lead. Chase Meidroth added insult to injury with another RBI single, this time off Hunter Gaddis, to make it a 4-2 ballgame.
Progressive Field came alive in the bottom of the eighth. Against new pitcher Grant Taylor, Jo Adell hit a long RBI triple that plated DeLauter and put the Guardians just one run behind.
Cleveland hitters made some loud contact in the ninth, but they found nothing but leather, sealing the heartbreaking loss. The Guardians will be playing for survival on Wednesday, with their backs against the wall, down 0-2 in the series.
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