The Chicago White Sox were the biggest surprise of the MLB this season, going from setting the record for most regular season losses in 2024 to becoming an 84-win playoff team in just two years.
However, things were trending down for Chicago starting in September, entering the postseason after squandering the AL Central division title to the Cleveland Guardians after a late slump cost them a first-round bye.
It seemed like the White Sox put their struggles behind them after convincingly sweeping the Houston Astros in the Wild Card round. That set them up with a chance for revenge against the very team that stole the division from them, an ALDS matchup with the Cleveland Guardians.
Chicago made a statement to begin the series, shutting out Cleveland with five pitchers allowing just three hits. First baseman Munetaka Murakami blasted a two-run home run for the lead, which was all the bullpen needed to lock down a game one victory.
The White Sox found themselves down early in game two, after a bases loaded throwing error allowed Cleveland to plate two in the first inning. Despite a dominant 11 strikeout outing from Gavin Williams, Chicago broke through against the Guardians bullpen. A sixth inning two-run double from rookie outfielder Braden Montgomery put the White Sox up front. Once again, the pitching staff held off the opposing hitters to secure a 2-0 series lead.
Just one win away from a trip to the American League Championship Series, and returning home to Chicago, hopes were high for White Sox fans. Their bullpen silenced Cleveland’s bats, especially due to the work from Grant Taylor and Sean Burke, who came in after an opener in game two.
The White Sox took an early 1-0 lead in game three, but things began to collapse from there. The Guardians drove in four runs in the third inning off a bases loaded triple by Jo Adell. The Chicago offense seemed to fall asleep setting a record for most strikeouts in a nine-inning postseason game with 19. Cleveland took game three in dominant fashion, 9-3.
It was a similar story in game four, as the White Sox struck first with two runs in the third inning. The Guardians responded with two fifth inning home runs by Patrick Bailey and José Ramírez, going ahead 3-2. This time, however, the Chicago offense put up a fight, plating two of their own in the bottom of the frame. Then came a sixth inning meltdown by the pitching staff, allowing six runs off five hits and two walks, putting Cleveland in firm control. The White Sox offense had no answer, besides a ninth-inning solo shot from Miguel Vargas. Suddenly, the series was knotted up at 2-2, setting up a winner-takes-all game five.
With their season on the line, game five was the nail in the coffin for the White Sox offense. The pitching staff did its best to hold off opposing hitters, but Ramírez continued his impressive series with a go ahead two-run home run in the fourth. That was all the Guardians needed, as Chicago went three for 30 at the plate with 21 strikeouts, breaking the record they had just set three days earlier. A 2-0 Cleveland victory sealed the series, as the White Sox fell short of the Guardians for the second time this season.
White Sox hitters struck out 75 times over five games, shattering the previous division series record. They became the fourth team in major league history to lose a best-of-five series after going up 2-0, ironically the last time being Cleveland in 2017.
Despite ending on such a sour note, the White Sox still have plenty to be excited for. After improving 24 wins since last season, and building a talented young core, they will hope to build off their regular season success. Meanwhile, the Guardians will take on the Tampa Bay Rays with a trip to the World Series on the line.