Guardians rally past White Sox in Game 5, set up ALCS showdown with Rays

The Cleveland Guardians erased a 2-0 deficit in the American League Division Series by blanking the Chicago White Sox 2-0 in Game 5. Their staff combined for a nine-inning postseason record of 21 strikeouts, with Gavin Williams delivering 5.2 innings of shutout baseball, surrendering just one hit, two walks and a hit-by-pitch. Ramirez’s fourth-inning two-run home run, the lowest-trajectory postseason homer since 2008, provided the decisive margin.

The bullpen—Erik Sabrowski, Evan Gaddis and Cade Smith—finished the game, adding nine more strikeouts. The victory sends Cleveland to face the Tampa Bay Rays in the ALCS, while the Rays come off a sweep of the New York Yankees.