Guardians Did Something In Game 5 No Team Ever Has

The Cleveland Guardians eliminated the Chicago White Sox on Saturday after playing and winning three consecutive win-or-go-home games this week. They secured their ticket to the AL Championship Series, where they will face the Tampa Bay Rays in a best-of-seven clash.

Their 2-0 win in Saturday’s Game 5 came with a new postseason record. Yes, that’s right: the pitching staff, led by an incredible Gavin Williams, struck out more hitters than ever before in an October clash.

The most strikeouts in a single 9-inning postseason game ever:

THE CLEVELAND GUARDIANS TONIGHT WITH 21! 🔥 pic.twitter.com/dQmBKXJVi7

— Just Baseball (@JustBB_Media) October 11, 2026

Williams fanned 12 batters on Saturday night in 5.2 scoreless innings. He had struck out 11 in his previous start and racked up one whiff in his relief outing on Thursday. He put on an authentic swing-and-miss masterclass during the entire series, pitching like a true ace.

In addition to Williams’ 12 punchouts, Erik Sabrowski got one in relief, and Hunter Gaddis and Cade Smith racked up four each. That brought the final tally to 21, the most in a nine-inning postseason game in the history of our beautiful game.

It wasn’t just the strikeouts, though. Cleveland’s pitching staff dominated all game, limiting White Sox’s hitters to just three hits and two walks. None of the hits went for extra bases, too.

Williams, Sabrowski, Gaddis, and Smith showed up when their team needed them the most. Some of them, particularly Gaddis, were heavily scrutinized in recent days. All of them brought their A-game on Saturday and lifted the team to the much-needed win: they were so good that Cleveland just needed a two-run homer by Jose Ramirez to advance.

Now, a dangerous team awaits in the AL Championship Series. The Rays had the best record in the American League during the regular season and swept the New York Yankees in the AL Division Series. In a best-of-seven matchup, however, anything can happen, especially with such a strong pitching staff, as is clearly the Guardians’ case.

Everybody left Cleveland for dead after they dropped the first two games of the ALDS, but they came back impressively and ended the White Sox’s dream and postseason chances with three nearly flawless games on Wednesday, Thursday, and Saturday.