Williams, Ramirez lead Guardians past White Sox in Game 5 to cap ALDS comeback

Gavin Williams struck out 12, José 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 their best-of-five AL Division Series.

Cleveland opens the AL Championship Series at Tampa Bay on Monday night, seeking its first World Series trip since 2016. The Guardians 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 post-season game. The White Sox got just three hits, put only nine balls in play and struck out 75 times over the series.

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Two days after saving Game 4, Williams became just the third pitcher in post-season 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, a two-run drive off Sean Burke.

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

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

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

The Guardians erase an