A thrilling set of Wild Card Series isn’t quite over, but our first Division Series matchup is set. The White Sox swept the Astros to meet a familiar face in the division-rival Guardians in the ALDS.
Here’s a breakdown of the series ahead of Saturday’s openers.
This story will be updated as each Division Series matchup becomes official.
AMERICAN LEAGUE
(2) Guardians vs. (6) White Sox
Schedule
Game 1 (at CLE): Saturday, 1 p.m. ET/noon CT on TBS/truTV/UniMas/HBO Max
Game 2 (at CLE): Monday, 5 p.m. ET/4 CT on TBS/truTV/UniMas/HBO Max
Game 3 (at CWS): Wednesday, time TBD on TBS/truTV/UniMas/HBO Max
Game 4 (at CWS, if necessary): Thursday, time TBD on TBS/truTV/UniMas/HBO Max
Game 5 (at CLE, if necessary): Saturday, time TBD on TBS/truTV/UniMas/HBO Max
Season series: The White Sox held a narrow advantage in the head-to-head despite the Guardians walking away with the AL Central crown this season. Chicago won seven games to Cleveland’s six, but this matchup was about as close as it gets. Six games were decided by one run, and two went to extra innings. The Guardians won four of those nail-biters.
Postseason history: This will be the first playoff meeting between these teams.
Keys to the matchup: The long ball tends to win in the postseason. The White Sox hit a lot of them (211 home runs, fifth in MLB) in the regular season, and the Guardians didn’t (162, 27th). The additions of Jo Adell and Nathaniel Lowe at the Trade Deadline helped the Guardians move closer to the middle of the pack in the second half, though power is still not the club’s forte.
The Guardians do have an advantage on the mound, with one of the most stout rotations in the AL. Parker Messick, Gavin Williams and trade pickup Foster Griffin will need to keep the ball in the yard before turning things over to a bullpen headlined by All-Star Cade Smith.
Player to watch: José Ramírez. After needing surgery to repair a fractured left hamate bone in June, J-Ram didn’t look much like himself. He had just a .598 OPS with two home runs after the All-Star break. But it can take time to get right after a hamate surgery, so we’ll call the seven-time All-Star a “sleeping giant.” The Guardians will certainly need Ramírez to make a deep October run.