Cleveland completes ALDS comeback, pitchers set nine‑inning postseason record 21 strikeouts

Cleveland’s Guardians completed a comeback from a 2-0 series deficit, beating the Chicago White Sox 2-0 on Saturday, Oct. 10, to win Game 5 and advance to the American League Championship Series.

Fox News reported the Guardians’ pitchers combined to strike out a nine-inning postseason record 21 White Sox batters in the game.

Gavin Williams started for Cleveland and struck out 12 of the 21 batters he faced, tossing 5.2 scoreless innings while allowing one hit, two walks and a hit batsman, Fox News said. Jose Ramírez hit a two-run home run in the fourth inning, which the source described as the lowest pitch (8.88 inches off the ground) for a postseason homer since at least 2008 and the lowest of Ramírez’s career.

Relievers Erik Sabrowski, Evan Gaddis and Cade Smith combined for the final 10 outs and struck out nine batters (Sabrowski struck out the lone batter he faced; Gaddis and Smith each recorded eight strikeouts), according to Fox News.

The White Sox struck out 63.6% of the time in the game after a regular-season strikeout rate of 24.1%, the report said. Cleveland lost the first two games of the series at home but won three consecutive elimination games to clinch the series; the White Sox had a chance to clinch a series at home for the first time since 1906, Fox News noted.

The Guardians will face the Tampa Bay Rays in the ALCS, which will begin Monday, Oct. 12, 2026, in Florida. Fox News reported the Rays reached the ALCS after sweeping the New York Yankees.

Source: Latest & Breaking News on Fox News