White Sox pitchers ready for wherever they're needed in ALDS finale

CHICAGO -- The White Sox had the chance to close out the American League Division Series two different times in front of their frenzied home fans at Rate Field, but they couldn’t get it done. And so, the big question becomes -- what now?

The surprising White Sox have been a resilient team all year, but their unconventional pitching plans didn’t work in back-to-back games, punctuated by their 9-5 defeat to the Guardians in Game 4 on Thursday night. Chicago used seven pitchers in the loss, including closer Grant Taylor, who was hit hard as part of a six-run sixth inning that put the game away for Cleveland.

But strategically, Chicago stayed away from right-hander Sean Burke, who is expected to either start or pitch in a bulk role in the deciding Game 5 on Saturday at Progressive Field. Burke was excellent in Game 2 after entering in the third, striking out six over 5 1/3 innings while allowing one run on one hit and retiring 13 in a row at one point, but the White Sox haven’t decided how they’ll utilize him yet.

“We're going to talk about it,” White Sox manager Will Venable said. “We've got to evaluate where we're at with some other arms and then we'll formulate a plan.”

They’re going to need Burke to step up as a hero while also drastically cutting down on issuing free passes going forward. They walked 10 batters in Wednesday’s 9-3 loss and seven more while also hitting a batter on Thursday, with three of those runners coming around to score.

But the Guardians weren’t as fortunate, as they had to use Gavin Williams -- who remains an option to start Saturday -- in the ninth to close it out on 18 pitches while their closer, Cade Smith, also threw 31 pitches.

“Small victories there,” Venable said. “It was a small win in making Cade pitch ... two ups and then getting Gavin in the game, as well.”

The White Sox also have the advantage of another off-day on Friday to help reset some of their high-leverage bullpen arms. Just about every pitcher should be available outside of veteran right-hander Erick Fedde, who was one of the bright spots out of the bullpen with 3 2/3 solid innings to keep the White Sox in it.

He gave up two runs on three hits and a walk with an inherited runner coming around to score in the fifth, when Jordan Hicks served up a two-run blast to José Ramírez after Fedde gave up a single to Steven Kwan. He threw 61 pitches, which could rule him out of action in the clincher.

“He did a great job,” catcher Kyle Teel said. “He attacked the zone. His stuff was really working well for him. I just think we need to stick to our strengths. And on the pitching side, it’s leaning on what you do well.”

Rookie lefty Hagen Smith pitched on consecutive days for the second time in his career and scuffled as the opener, walking three in the opening frame. He threw 27 pitches and has already made three appearances this series, so the White Sox could be hesitant to use him for much more than a short stint.

More concerning is how Taylor fared, as he had been incredibly reliable this postseason, entering the night having thrown 7 2/3 scoreless innings and 11 strikeouts compared to just one walk. He recorded both a four-inning save in Game 1 and a four-out save in Game 2, and it’s fair to wonder if he’s been overexposed against a Guardians team he also faced six times during the regular season, posting a 9.44 ERA in 6 2/3 innings.

But Taylor wasn’t concerned about that after the game, noting that starters face opposing batters multiple times a series, and he believed it was just a lack of execution. He lamented walking two batters, but he insisted that he’ll be ready for the elimination game.

“I’m going to be available for anything,” Taylor said. “If they want me to go nine, then go for it. I’m going to do everything in the next couple of days to be ready to go and put my body on the line.”

It’s only fitting that it’ll come down to a Game 5 given how closely these division rivals have played each other throughout the season. Chicago won the season series by a 7-6 margin while outscoring the Guardians by just one run, but now it’ll all be on the line on Saturday night in Cleveland.

“As we've battled back and forth with these guys, obviously fitting that it's going to come down to this,” Venable said. “We just want to win this series however possible, and wherever that is, we'll take it.”