Nah nah nah nah
Nah nah nah nah
Hey hey hey
GOOD BYEEEE…
CHICAGO WHITE SOX
ITS ALL OVER
GO HOME NOW
AND CRYYYYY
Alright- got that out of my system.
Well it was a thrilling night down at the corner of Carnegie and Ontario (thrilling? That’s what you call when your heart is beating out your butt?). After 2 games it looked like we probably wouldn’t get another home crowd until next season, but the Road Guardians were able to come alive thanks to some Heroics from several of our guys. A new brand new life appeared
in their eyes when Jose started to turn his series around, and after two 9 run outbursts, the Guardians and their fans were believing again. The teams would be given about 44 hours to rest up and get to Cleveland before we do this one last time, the 18th between the two teams this year. Would the White Sox continue their dream season? Would the Guardians finish off the comeback? Would Jake stress eat half a rotisserie chicken through it all? Let’s see!
Through 2 innings both pitchers looked SHARP. Gavin was up to his typical routine of gassing 99 past hitters and locating in the zone. He had 4 strikeouts through 2 innings allowing only a Walk to reach. It was only 24 pitches but he looked in command early, and the crowd was loving it…. But not to be outdone, Sean Burke was matching Gavin stride for stride, getting 5 easy outs and ending the 2nd with his 1st K on Travis Bazzana. And then, the worst thing a Cleveland fan can hear when facing Chicago in the Playoffs… Rain.
The rain picked up at the end of the 2nd and you could feel the crowd lighten up, knowing the history here. Fortunately Gavin didn’t seem to mind, adding another 2 quick strikeouts and getting a groundout to make it 3 complete innings, a first for any Cleveland pitcher since Game 2.
And UNfortuantely, Sean Burke continued to match Gavin out there. He wouldn’t rack up the K’s, but he was extremely efficient. He would retire the first 7 batters in just 20 pitches. Petey Halpin, making his first start of the postseason (in for the struggling Angel Martinez) was the first to make Burke work, getting a 7 pitch groundout and making Burke cover the bag as well. Even just making him run for 5 seconds felt like a Win, as Burke would get Rocchio to check swing Strikeout, finishing the 3rd inning on 34 pitches and putting the Guardians on Perfect Game Watch.
0-0 thru 3.
Back out there for the 4th and Gavin was absolutely dialed in. With the heart of the White Sox order (Teel/Vargas/Murakami), Gavin would throw a 13 pitch masterpiece, striking out the side, reaching 101 and using that 2 seamer to perfection. Thru 4 innings Gavin was everything you could ever want in a Game 5 Starter, striking out 9 allowing just one base runner to reach.
In the bottom half of the inning, Kwan would record the first hit of the game, a single to CF, and we would finally get to see how Sean Burke would react out of the stretch.
Perfect timing.
The GOAT doing GOAT things. Outside of a few inconsequential solo homers in the regular season, Sean Burke was the one pitcher we haven’t been able to figure out. So leave it to Jose to golf one out that was an inch off the plate. A Homer that only he could hit, sending the crowd into a brief frenzy before they chanted his name.
Jo-seeee
Jose Jose Joseee
Jo-seeee
Jooo-se
Add in a hustle infield single, and Burke’s pitch count started to climb and Venable’s leash on him begun to shorten. Sean Newcomb would start to warm in the bullpen as we headed to the 5th inning, the Guardians holding a small 2-0 lead.
But all series long, and honestly, all season long, the White Sox had this innate ability to answer right away. And coming to the plate were some very familiar faces, one who drove Gavin out of a gem with an 18 pitch at bat just a month ago (a detail the announcers just couldn’t keep out of their mouths). But the Big Rig was more like an unstoppable train tonight, and that continued in the 5th with a strikeout, a rare groundout and another swinging strikeout. His masterpiece would continue for at least one more inning- with a line of 5IP, 1 BB, 11 K on 72 pitches. A long way to go but just an incredible line through 5 innings of an elimination game.
To the bottom of the 5th and we got some fireworks again- but not the good kind. With 1 out Greedy Petey Halpin lined one into the RF corner and seeing it slow down, Petey decided to try for 3. Well, he ain’t Greedy Petey for nothin, and was thrown out taking 3rd. In the moment, I didn’t hate it. He’s probably the fastest guy on the team and was daring the White Sox to make 3 great throws. If they don’t, he’s a Sac Fly from Rocchtober away from expanding the lead. But they did make two great throws, and our first runner in scoring position was out before we could even get a bat. After thinking about it more, and who was coming up, I don’t love the aggressiveness there. Trust one of Rocchio or Kwan to get a hit, or at least a walk to get Jose up. Gotta know who is behind you and the situation here. Don’t hate it, don’t love it, it is what it is and we are still 2-0 headed to the 6th inning.
To start the 6th DOES ANYONE GET HBP AS MUCH AS THESE GUYS? I’m sure they aren’t even that high up there, but man it feels like we’ve hit far too many of them this series. Well, from cruise control to alarms blaring in every Cleveland fan’s heart, the Sox get their leadoff man on with the top of the lineup incoming. On an 0-2 pitch nonetheless. Woof!
So Gav. You’ve thrown a gem. You have a 2 run lead. But the tying run is at the plate, how do you respond?… Quick strikeout, flyout, but then a 2 out single (the first hit for the White Sox all game) and we ask again Gav, this time in the voice of Carl Willis coming out for a meeting on the mound… You’ve thrown a gem, you’ve got the tying run on base, and the most dangerous batter Chicago has is at the plate. How, do you, respond?
He would walk Vargas on 5 non-competitive pitches, loading the bases for Munetaki Murakami and ending his day at 5.2 IP.
As I type this, I know his line isn’t final. There’s a chance that 5.2 IP has 3 ER attached to it. Hopefully Sabrowski does his job and there are no runs attached to it. But all I gotta say is Gavin spun an absolute gem. So no matter what happens, that needs to be the AND SRIK SABROWSKI STRIKES OUT MUNETAKI MURAKAMI!!! KICKSTART MY HEART AND LET OUT THAT PRIMAL ROAR YOU BEAUTIFUL CANADIAN HOSER!!!!! (I do assume Hoser is a term of endearment in Canada? Or at the very least a regular of fun name-calling banter. I apologize if it is a slur or offensive in anyway).
Whoa BABY that 6th was a ride! Now can we please add some insurance here? Because I’m counting the outs we have left and I would REALLY like a 3rd and 4th run here.
Oh no that wouldn’t happen here. Sean Newcomb put his big boy pants on tonight and would strikeout Kwany and Jose before Chase “handsomest man in the world” DeLauter squeaked one by Chase “most White Sox looking White Sox ever even more than Aaron Rowand/Paul Konerko/Joe Crede” Meidroth, but Jo Adell could not play hero and we go to the 7th, still 2-0.
Vogt would surprisingly pull Sabrowski after the one batter, putting Hunter Gaddis directly into the fire against the White Sox for what might have actually been the 18th time this season (I think it’s actually 12 which is insane anyway). Interesting decision, knowing you likely don’t want to go 2 Cade innings again, AND, it’s Hunter Gaddis…
But the Big Hairy Georgian was AWESOME, striking out 3 while allowing just one flare off the end of the bat. Another great call by Vogt, and we are 6 outs away from the ALCS. Big question now becomes, do you stuck with Gaddis for Doyle? Herrin for Antonacci/Teel/Vargas? Does Shawn Armstrong come into play? How many outs are we asking of Cade? All nerve wracking questions that would matter a whole lot less if you could just ADD A DAMN INSURANCE RUN!!!
Nope. Again, why would we do that? What’s the fun in winning easy? Why not enter every inning with a solid chance at colossal heart break? What’s the saying? It’s better to have loved and lost rather than to win by 5 or 6? Something like that?
Onto the 8th inning, and Hunter Gaddis comes back out after a 14 pitch, BEAUTIFUL 7th, ready to throw pitch 15 and possibly more for the 9th hitter and beyond. Randall Grichuk, he of Guardian faithful Free Agency dreams (and then again of the Waiver Wire), would pinch-strikeout for Doyle before the lineup would turn over. Gaddis stayed on; so of course Antonacci would get the Sox 3rd hit of the night (all were flares off the end of the bat), which would be all that Vogt needed to go to the ‘pen, hopefully one last time (in a good way), where he’d be calling on Cade Smith to get 5 outs.
Look, I trust Cade Smith more than any pitcher we’ve maybe ever had. But Thursday’s appearance, as well as the fact that he’s thrown in every game this series, has me more nervous than I’ve ever been with him taking the mound. Usually, I’m as steady as a rock. Tonight, I’m a shaky wet puddle on the floor.
Oh Jaker, ye of little faith. Cade would scare me for two pitches way out of the zone before coming back to strike out Teel and then getting Vargas to pop up to Bailey. Cade Smith. K’d. The Cade Crusader. Gettin the job done like he has 200 times before.
3 outs away
So please, one final time, can I get an insurance run???
Well, we’d get our chance. Halpin would lead the inning off with a double off the top of the wall, but Grant Taylor would come in and somehow get the job done by getting Rocchio to ground out, walking Kwan and then Jose (intentionally), then two sharp groundouts from Chase and Jo. 0-3 with RISP on the night. Would it bite us one final time in a year where it seemingly did once every series? Would 2 runs be enough for the extremely overused Cade Smith?
1.
2.
3.
BALLGAME.
Unbelievable. The Cleveland Guardians come back from down 2 games to none to advance to the American League Championship Series for the 2nd time in 3 seasons under Steven Vogt! Incredible pitching to set strikeout records in both game 4 with 19 in 9 innings and then again in game 5 with 21 strikeouts.
Gavin Williams. Jose Ramirez. Cade Smith. THAT IS GUARDSBALL BABY.
——
Let me just say, major shout out to the Chicago White Sox. What they overcame this year was remarkable. I mean, this was their second best season in the last 100 years, and they almost beat us! It was close. Now, we might take our seasons for granted here, ya know, we just wake up and win the division so the ALCS is way more in our wheelhouse. But in Chicago it’s basically a pipe dream. So for them to come so close to it, is truly remarkable. They deserve a lot of credit for putting together such an incredible Wild Card round Win for one of their greatest moments in franchise history. And they almost won the division too. Great stuff guys really!
No, no trolling. In all seriousness the White Sox and Guardians were neck and neck all year and it made plenty of sense that this came down to a Winner-Take-All Game 5. They were a formidable opponent that I would’ve hated to lose to because, well, I just don’t like them. But damn it did I respect their game all season long. They got the better of us just as often as we did them (literally, the regular and post season series came out to 9-9).
What a year, and we ain’t done. ALCS starts Monday night in Tampa. I have no idea who’s pitching and I do not care. Let’s enjoy this ride Cleveland! See you Monday!!!
