White Sox Come Back to Stun Guardians, Take 2-0 ALDS Lead

After leading every inning through their first three postseason games, it took a comeback effort from the Chicago White Sox on Monday evening to best the Cleveland Guardians 4-3 and take a commanding 2-0 lead in the ALDS.

Before the series, White Sox manager Will Venable was pretty clear about the keys to taking care of business: Don't walk batters and don't give Cleveland extra outs.

The White Sox did both during the early stages of the game.

After opener Anthony Kay was pulled after recording only one out, it was reliever Sean Newcomb who made a costly error, throwing the ball away on a comebacker and allowing two Guardians runs to score.

A ground-ball single into right field by Steven Kwan was the only ball that left the infield that inning, but a crooked number went on the board and the White Sox were playing from behind.

Fortunately, the rest of the pitching staff answered the call and kept the Guardians at bay just long enough for the White Sox offense to chip away at the lead.

Despite 11 strikeouts from Guardians starting pitcher Gavin Williams, an RBI single from Munetaka Murakami got Chicago on the board in the fourth inning and made it a 2-1 game.

The White Sox then chased Williams from the game in the top of the sixth. With two runners in scoring position, rookie outfielder Braden Montgomery delivered the biggest hit of his MLB career, going to the opposite field against reliever Eric Sabrowski for a two-RBI double.

Chase Meidroth added one for good measure with an opposite-field single, which made it a 4-2 game and proved to be an essential insurance run.

But you can't tell the story of this game without giving flowers to Sean Burke.

The White Sox couldn't have asked for much more from their 26-year-old ace, who served as the bulk-inning "relief pitcher" as part of Chicago's pitching chaos strategy on Monday.

Burke retired 13 Guardians hitters in a row, setting a new White Sox franchise postseason record before allowing a single to Chase DeLauter in the eighth inning, which prompted Venable to go to the bullpen.

Chicago went to its best relief weapon in closer Grant Taylor, the same man who recorded a 12-out save against the Guardians in Game 1.

This time around, Cleveland had a plan. The Guardians were jumping on Taylor early.

The first pitch he threw was met by Guardians outfielder Jo Adell, who demolished the ball at 108.2 mph and sent it 413 feet. Luckily for the White Sox, it was hit to the deepest part of the ballpark, and the high wall in left-center field kept it in the stadium.

It was an RBI triple for Adell, making it a 4-3 game. But the White Sox preserved the lead.

It didn't seem to rattle Taylor much.

As he walked around the mound in the bottom of the ninth inning, Taylor was singing along to "Down Under" by Men at Work, the walk-up song of Guardians infielder Travis Bazzana. There were a few deep flyouts and close calls in front of the wall. But Taylor got the job done, and the White Sox stole yet another game on the road.

There were plenty of nerves for White Sox fans in this one. It had the makings of a game that was bound to break Chicago's heart.

We saw it plenty of times during the regular season. A tight lead playing in Cleveland. Brayan Rocchio waiting in the wings, hoping to get an opportunity in the ninth. But this time it was different. And that's been the story of the playoffs so far. The White Sox appear built for the moment, and for the time being, they just keep winning.

Game 3 will be played Wednesday afternoon in Chicago, with the White Sox looking to clinch a trip to the ALCS.

A win would also make history. It would mark the first time in 120 years that the White Sox have won a postseason series in front of their home crowd.

After taking care of business twice in Cleveland, they'll have that opportunity in front of what should be a raucous crowd at Rate Field.