Ramirez, Guardians top White Sox, force decisive Game 5 in ALDS - ESPN

CHICAGO — Jose Ramirez homered and drove in three runs, and the Cleveland Guardians beat the Chicago White Sox 9-5 on Thursday night to send their American League Division Series to a winner-take-all Game 5.

Pinch hitter Patrick Bailey also went deep and Game 2 starter Gavin Williams came out of the bullpen to get the last three outs as the Guardians won for the second consecutive day after beginning their postseason with two straight losses at home. Jo Adell hit a two-run single to cap a six-run sixth inning for the AL Central champions.

Cleveland is looking to become the first major league team to come back from a 2-0 deficit in a best-of-five playoff series since the 2017 New York Yankees accomplished the feat against, well, Cleveland. Teams with a 2-0 lead in a best-of-five postseason series have gone on to win 83 of 93 times.

Game 5 is back in Cleveland on Saturday night, and the winner will open the American League Championship Series at Tampa Bay on Monday.

«As we've battled back and forth with these guys, obviously fitting that it's going to come down to this,» White Sox manager Will Venable said. «It's been how the back-and-forth has been all year.»

Chicago's bullpen, one of its biggest strengths in a surprising season, is suddenly looking very tired. Grant Taylor was hit hard after pitching 5⅓ scoreless innings over the first two games of the series, allowing four runs and four hits without retiring any of the six batters he faced during Cleveland's rally in the sixth.

Miguel Vargas homered late for the White Sox, who flopped in their second straight bid to clinch a postseason series at home for the first time since the 1906 World Series against the Chicago Cubs. Sam Antonacci drove in two runs.

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