The Cleveland Guardians completed a historic postseason comeback on October 10, blanking the Chicago White Sox 2-0 in a winner-take-all Game 5 of the ALDS at Progressive Field.
José Ramírez provided all the offense the Guardians would need, launching a two-run homer in the fourth inning that silenced the White Sox and sent the home crowd into a frenzy.
Starter Gavin Williams was dominant from the first pitch, striking out 12 batters over 5⅔ innings to tie a franchise postseason record. The right-hander kept Chicago’s lineup off balance all night, and the Cleveland bullpen slammed the door the rest of the way.
The victory makes Cleveland just the 11th team in Major League Baseball history — and the first since 2017 — to win a best-of-five series after dropping the first two games. The Guardians won three straight elimination games to survive.
Cleveland now advances to the American League Championship Series against the Tampa Bay Rays, beginning Monday — the franchise’s second ALCS appearance in three seasons. The Guardians have not reached the World Series since 2016 and have not won a championship since 1948, leaving one of baseball’s longest title droughts still hanging over the celebration.
