The Chicago White Sox are officially on a heater, moving to 4-0 this postseason after taking a 2-0 series lead against the Cleveland Guardians. After Monday's victory, they are officially one win away from their first ALCS appearance since 2005. The vibes are immaculate right now, and Chicago is playing like the main character of this October.
The trade that keeps on giving
Real talk, the White Sox's success is lowkey a masterclass in roster building. The trio they snagged in the 2022 Garrett Crochet trade—Chase Meidroth, Braden Montgomery, and Kyle Teel—is absolutely carrying. In Game 2, these three went 4-for-12 with 3 RBI, essentially accounting for all four of the team's runs. Montgomery’s two-run double in the sixth was a total W, flipping a 2-1 deficit into a 3-2 lead. It’s giving championship energy.
Cleveland struggling to keep up
The Guardians are having a rough time, and honestly, the math isn't mathing for their offense. They’ve only managed three runs and seven hits total across the first two games of the ALDS. Their biggest offensive spark? A two-run throwing error by Chicago's Sean Burke in the first inning. Burke otherwise locked it down, throwing 5 ⅓ innings of one-run ball with six strikeouts. The Guardians are now 2-8 in their last 10 postseason games and are looking at an early exit.
Why it matters
Winning Game 1 is a massive edge in the Division Series, but the White Sox are proving that depth and clutch hitting in the playoffs are everything. If they win the next one, they’re punching their ticket to the ALCS—a massive turnaround for a franchise that just two years ago set a record for losses.
