With electricity buzzing in stadiums, bars, and homes around Cleveland and beyond Game 1 of the ALDS was officially under way.
Parker Messick got the start as a young rookie coming off a Cy Young and ROTY caliber regular season. With the line up and roster set, Messick faced off against the White Sox surrounded by a sea of red and the roar of the Cleveland faithful hanging onto every strike. Messick held his own against the impressive Chicago White Sox offense, throwing 54 pitches through the first
three innings and striking out six. In that time frame Chicago had two base runners, both in the first inning, but Parker dialed in and hammered the strike zone, reaching 98 mph.
Cleveland’s offense took a bit to get rolling, not having a base runner until the bottom of the third. Cleveland’s lineup stayed patient, working Chicago’s opener Hagen Smith until his tank was empty. Cleveland’s patience in the batter’s box from the 9-1-2 hitters loaded the bases, all via walks and forced Will Venable to go to his bullpen. Bryan Hudson came on to bases loaded and Chase DeLauter up to bat. DeLauter worked a full count but lined out to left for the final out of the inning.
The dam finally broke in the top of the fourth, unfortunately for the wrong team. Parker gave up a single to Miguel Vargas and then a first pitch two-run homer to none other than Munetaka Murakami. Tommy Pham walked, but the Cleveland defense got the opportunity to support their pitcher with an easy 6-4-3 double play. Parker got out of the fourth with an easy fly out to Kwan.
Cleveland threatened again in the bottom of the fourth. With two outs, Vogt pinch hit Nathaniel Lowe for David Fry. Lowe drew a walk, forcing Venable to make another pitching sub. This time turning to Anthony Kay. Travis Bazzana recorded the Guard’s first hit of the game with a double to right to put everyone in scoring position. Austin Hedges drew a crucial walk to load the bases, bringing Brayan Rocchio to the plate again. Rocchio worked a 2-1 count then hit a sweeper straight to the right fielder for the final out of the inning.
In the top of the fifth, Parker Messick came back out, got one out, but gave up a single. Vogt made the right call to the bullpen, ending Parker’s playoff debut. Messick went 4.1 innings, allowing only two runs on four hits and two walks. He struck out six in his outing and threw 87 pitches, 56 of which were strikes. Parker looked fantastic and made no indication that the playoff pressure was affecting him. Something that carried over to Daniel Espino’s sole batter faced in the fifth. Espino relieved Parker Messick, threw two pitches, and forced a 4-6-3 double play to retire the side.
Espino came back out in the sixth inning after a quiet 1-2-3 inning from Cleveland in the bottom of the fifth. Tristan Peters singled and Miguel Vargas drew a walk. Vogt pulled Espino and brought out Erik Sabrowski to stop the rally. Sabrowski struck out Murakami and watched Tommy Pham hit a long fly ball. This ball looked like it was going to the bleachers, but some weird air current made the ball drop right into the glove of left fielder Angel Martínez.
Martínez caught the ball with the bare minimum space to get his glove between the ball and wall and fired it in to Bazzana who got it to Nathaniel Lowe at first for an inning ending double play. Chicago challenged the call, but it was confirmed and the out was called.
The bottom of the sixth was another lame outing from the offense, with Nathaniel Lowe hitting a double for the only base runner of the inning. In the top of the seventh, Sabrowski got two outs, but gave up a walk and a RBI double. The double dribbled right down the foul like to left fielder Martínez who made a great throw home, but catcher Austin Hedges couldn’t hang on to the ball while applying the tag, giving the White Sox an insurance run with the Guards rapidly running out of outs.
Hunter Gaddis came in to finish the top of the seventh, forcing a flyout to retire the side.
Patrick Bailey was brought in to pinch hit for Austin Hedges in the bottom of the seventh. Bailey hit a lead off single to left to kick things off. Unfortunately Guards offense couldn’t build anything on the lead off single with a floundering strikeout from Rocchio and a GIDP from Kwan to retire the side.
Tim Herrin pitched the eighth, making two quick outs via a flyout to right and a groundout to José. Herrin got behind in the count to Murakami but threw a beautiful low curveball to get him out swinging. The bottom of the eighth was more of the same. The batters went 1-2-3.
Cade Smith pitched the ninth, replacing Tim Herrin. He got two quick outs with a flyout and groundout then struck out Kyle Teel to turn things over to the Guardians for their last three outs.
Early on in this game, it felt like the Guardians were playing a regular season game and you could feel that the pressure wasn’t really getting to them. At a certain point though, it made this game rather predictable. No one could hit themself into a meaningful at bat, batters were swinging at bad pitches, and they left many runners on and in scoring position. Just like the regular season, the pitchers did their job but the hitters couldn’t reciprocate in kind. Jo Adell went 0-for-4 as the DH with four strike outs and Chase DeLauter went 0-for-4 too.
With one out in the bottom of the ninth, “Lets Go White Sox” cheers rang out at Progressive Field, embarrassing. Here’s hoping that this team’s one day at a time mentality carried itself over to the playoffs. The team that played today cannot beat the White Sox if Chicago continues to not make mistakes. At some point they will need to take the opportunity from Chicago instead of waiting for the White Sox to hand it to them. Cleveland did manage to see a lot of Chicago’s bullpen and the White Sox have yet to name their Game 2 starter. If the Guardians can capitalize on this, there may be room for the offense to drive in a run home.
Game 1 goes to Chicago.
Game 2 needs to go to Cleveland.
