Guardians' Williams, White Sox's Burke to start for ALCS bid - ESPN

After finishing Game 4 of the American League Division Series on the mound, Cleveland Guardians right-hander Gavin Williams will get the ball to start Game 5 on Saturday, manager Stephen Vogt announced.

Williams, 27, thew 18 pitches in relief of Cade Smith on Thursday as the Chicago White Sox were mounting a comeback against the Guardians' closer. But Williams was able to secure the victory, forcing a winner-take-all game.

«We're hoping [Thursday] acts as a higher-intensity bullpen,» Vogt said Friday of Williams' Game 4 outing. «So Gavin is ready to go tomorrow. Feels good today. So we will obviously see how he's doing tomorrow.»

Williams started Game 2 of the series, throwing 98 pitches over five innings. He will be opposed by Chicago right-hander Sean Burke, who would have entered Game 4 if his team had tied the game in the ninth inning. Burke also appeared in Game 2, pitching 5⅓ innings after the White Sox used an opener.

That won't be the case in Game 5. It's Burke's ball to start the night.

«We talked a little bit about some of the exposure to different parts of the lineup that are a factor,» Chicago manager Will Venable said. «Just kind of looking at who we have and who we're going to use tomorrow and how we can transition from one guy to the other.»

Both bullpens are taxed. Smith pitched in Games 3 and 4 despite the Guardians holding big leads in both contests. He struggled in his fourth inning over the two outings, prompting questions about his usage.

«If anybody thinks it's easy, go ahead,» Vogt said with a smirk. «It's really difficult.

»I think when you're playing a team that's got the offensive power that they do and as you're managing a bullpen, you always go to worst-case scenario in your head.… We all put