With Chicago leading the series 1-0, the Cleveland Guardians desperately needed to win today’s Game 2 to split the series.
Gavin Williams showed up looking to win today. After leading the AL in strikeouts, he immediately started adding to his playoff strikeout tally with two strikeouts in the first inning. Gavin walked a batter, but got out of the inning having only thrown 15 pitches.
Anthony Kay was tapped to be the White Sox opener for this game. He threw 17 pitches, gave up a single to Steven Kwan and a walk to José Ramírez. With only one out and runners on second and third, Will Venable was forced to go to his bullpen early. Sean Newcomb replaced Anthony Kay and threw two balls to Jo Adell before getting the signal from the dugout to intentionally walk Adell. With bases loaded, Nathaniel Lowe popped it high in the infield. The pitcher caught the ball but committed a throwing error to first, allowing Kwan and José to easily score. Two strikeouts on Angel Martínez and Travis Bazzana ended the inning but not before Cleveland was able to take the lead.
Gavin ramped up his pitching in the second, touching 100+ mph in multiple pitches, keeping his pitch count low, and struck out the side in order. He had five strikeouts in 31 pitches thrown. In the third inning Gavin added his sixth strike out, but walked the next batter. His pitch count started creeping up, but Sam Antonacci grounded into a double play to retire the side.
The White Sox got on the board in the fourth inning. Gavin still held on, striking out two more, throwing over 100 mph on eight pitches but getting his pitch count up to 75. He struggled putting runners away, giving up a lead off single, a walk, and another single before recording an out. But Gavin and the Guards got out of the inning while maintaining the lead.
The Guardians forced another pitching change and had one baserunner, via a Chase DeLauter single in the third, but wasn’t able to capitalize on it. A similar story for the bottom of the fourth inning, with Travis Bazzana being the sole base runner via a walk.
In the top of the fifth, Gavin gave up a lead off single, but recorded his ninth strikeout of the game for the first out of the inning. With his pitch count eclipsing 90 pitches thrown, Gavin Williams dug in and struck out the next two to retire the side and give himself 11 strikeouts.
Gavin came back out to start the sixth inning but gave up a single to end his night. Gavin’s final line reads 5.0 IP, 2R, 4H, 3BB, and 11Ks. Erik Sabrowski came on to face the middle of the order. Sabrowski got the first out, but a walk and wild pitch put Chicago runners on second and third. With two outs Sabrowski gave up a two run double along the first base line to give Chicago the lead. It was at this point that all of the work that Gavin put in to keep Cleveland in the lead was absolutely lost. Hunter Gaddis came in and gave up an RBI single then gave Chase Meidroth a free base with a wild throw in a pick off attempt. Hunter got the final out, but the tides turned with the White Sox going into the bottom of the inning with a two run lead.
Gaddis tightened up in the top of the seventh, getting two outs. Angel Martínez had another incredible play in left that kept Cleveland in it.
Stephen Vogt opted for the match up with Miguel Vargas and called for Shawn Armstrong. Armstrong got the final flyout to retire the side in the seventh. He went 1-2-3 in the eighth with a strikeout to give things to Cleveland to take back.
The Guardians stuck in it in the bottom of the eighth, bringing the team within one. With two outs, Chase DeLauter hit a single to left. After another pitching change, bringing in Grant Taylor, Jo Adell finally got his first post season hit with a RBI triple to left to score CDL. Nathaniel Lowe flied out for the final out, but he swung on a good pitch and just missed squaring up for a homer.
Cade Smith came in for the ninth and threw five pitches for three outs. The defense made three easy plays to make for a very quick inning.
Unfortunately the Guardians couldn’t make anything happen. Angel Martínez hit into a groundout. Travis Bazzana hit a long flyout. and Patrick Bailey hit a fly ball that was caught at the wall.
The Guards fall 0-2 in the series as the team heads to Chicago where they can hopefully avoid being swept by the White Sox. Its not known at this time who will be starting Game 3 for Cleveland.
