Jose Ramirez homers to complete Guardians' comeback in ALDS - ESPN

CLEVELAND — Gavin Williams struck out 12, Jose Ramirez homered on a pitch just above home plate and the Cleveland Guardians beat the Chicago White Sox 2-0 Saturday night to complete a comeback from an 0-2 deficit in the best-of-five American League Division Series.

Cleveland will open the AL Championship Series at the Tampa Bay Rays on Monday night seeking its first World Series trip since 2016. The Cleveland franchise hasn't won the title since 1948, the longest drought among MLB teams.

Guardians pitchers struck out 21, the most in a nine-inning postseason game. The White Sox got just three hits and put only nine balls in play. Chicago struck out 75 times over the series.

Two days after saving Game 4, Williams became just the third pitcher in postseason history to get the last out of a game and start the following game when his team faced elimination in both.

He didn't allow a hit until Kyle Teel looped a knuckle-curve into right field with two outs in the sixth — two innings after Ramirez homered for the second straight game with a two-run drive off Sean Burke.

After a walk loaded the bases, Erik Sabrowski relieved and struck out Munetaka Murakami on a foul tip, with the pitcher letting out a yell.

Williams' 12 strikeouts tied Cleveland's record for a postseason game. He got 22 swing-and-misses, and his 24 strikeouts over three games tied for second most in a best-of-five postseason series.

Hunter Gaddis followed Sabrowski and got four outs. And Cade Smith finished for his first career five-out save, striking out the side in the ninth. He blew a fastball by Tristan Peters for the final out, setting off a celebration at Progressive Field.

Chicago, the first team to reach the playoffs after three straight 100-loss