The Cleveland Guardians no longer own the first playoff tiebreaker against the Chicago White Sox.
CLEVELAND — Major League Baseball’s postseason bracket doesn’t start until the last few days of September.
But when you consider that every game from this point on carries extra weight as to whether or not the season will continue, the playoffs essentially started for the Cleveland Guardians and Chicago White Sox on Monday.
The two teams at the top of the American League Central were separated by half a game at the start of Monday night’s play, and the White Sox ended up taking the opener, 7-3.
Despite the final score, most of the game was fairly close. At the halfway mark of the game, each team was deadlocked at zero. All of Chicago’s run ended up coming in the second inning, too.
However, after Gavin Williams pitched five scoreless innings, the White Sox got to him in the sixth. Tim Herring and Daniel Espino didn’t fare any better, and in one quick frame, Chicago had a six-run lead.
Even though the Guardians ended up scoring a run in the same inning on a fielding error, it felt like the game was already over.
The most disappointing part of this loss is that it could end up having massive playoff implications, but not in Cleveland’s favor.
Sep 14, 2026; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Chicago White Sox shortstop Colson Montgomery (12) forces out Cleveland Guardians center fielder Steven Kwan (38) and turns the double play during the fourth inning at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-Imagn ImagesEven if the Guardians go on to win the next two games and take the series, they’ll still end up with a losing record against the White Sox in 2026.
That’s a critical stat because the first playoff tiebreaker, in the event that two teams finish with the same record, is head-to-head record, and Chicago has now clinched that over Cleveland.
After Monday’s loss, the Guardians and White Sox are now separated by just 1.5 games. The two teams have been on a similar win pace all year long, and there’s no reason to think that should change over the next two weeks.
It is more than possible that the tiebreaker is necessary to decide the division winner, and now Chicago essentially gains an extra game on the Guardians.
There’s still a lot of baseball left to be played, though, and if they can find a way to win the next two days, they’ll still find themselves at the top of their division on their own.
However, Cleveland’s already slim margin for error got that much smaller with their loss on Monday.
