CHICAGO -- Preseason predictions don’t mean much of anything beyond entertainment purposes in the realm of actual Major League Baseball outcomes.

Just ask the 2005 White Sox, who were the only ones believing they could reach the postseason, let alone win a World Series title while getting ready for that upcoming campaign in Arizona.

But even with that caveat, the 2022 season was not supposed to play out this way for the White Sox. Not after posting two straight playoff appearances for the first time in franchise history. Not with a litany of talent across their lineup and rotation in a less-than-stellar American League Central.

In the end, and it’s not quite the end with 12 games remaining, the Guardians were the best team in the division. They were hungry. They had the aggressive baseball approach, and with a 4-2 victory Thursday night at Guaranteed Rate Field, they have a three-game sweep to all but lock up a division crown.

Some disappointed White Sox players understood this brutal series was close to the final nail in what should have been a much better 162-game performance.

“It's tough,” said White Sox right fielder Gavin Sheets, whose home run in the eighth was one of two runs scored off Cleveland starting and winning pitcher Shane Bieber. “Obviously 162 doesn't come down to three games, but we knew what we had to do this series and we weren't able to do it. It's frustrating, it's disappointing, but it's not just this series.

“We had to play better all season. Obviously this was a huge series and we weren't able to pull through. They were playing great baseball. It certainly wasn't just this series."

Prior to Thursday’s series finale, White Sox acting manager Miguel Cairo spoke of the litany of key injuries plaguing this highly-touted team. He spoke again after the loss about the injuries, starting with left-handed reliever Garrett Crochet, right-handed starter Lance Lynn and third baseman Yoán Moncada in Spring Training, and how they disrupted the overall flow.

There’s absolute truth to Cairo’s injury assessment, but every team had crucial absences. And the injury component went over about as well as expected with a passionate White Sox fan base not looking for excuses.

This is Year 3 of the competitive window for the much ballyhooed White Sox rebuild, and they have two playoff victories to show for that time. This crew deserves credit for fighting back following Arizona’s three-game home sweep from Aug. 26-28 and Kansas City’s 9-7 victory on Aug. 30, leaving the White Sox three under and six back, by going 5-0-1 in the six series leading into Cleveland and claiming a makeup victory at Progressive Field on Sept. 15.

It ultimately doesn’t appear to be enough, with Chicago having an elimination number of five in the AL Central and seven in the Wild Card.

“Since Aug. 31, they decide to play, they decide to battle. They went and did everything, and I’m proud of what they’ve been doing,” said Cairo, who took over for Tony La Russa on Aug. 30. “They give everything. We just fell short to a really good team. 

“They know how to pitch, they play defense and they know how to put the barrel on the ball. You’ve got to play clean and you have to take advantage of the chances that they give you. It’s not too many.”

Cleveland (83-67) didn’t crumble under the intermittent pressure from the White Sox or the Twins. They didn’t feel the heat when struggles on offense took over for a short period. 

When they fought back to win Game 1 of this series in extra innings, the Guardians snatched the last little bit of fight from the White Sox (76-74). Then again, this series was more the microcosm of a problematic year instead of the reason for failure.

“This was a big series, coming here and making a statement, especially Game 1,” Bieber said. “Being able to kind of just sense the feeling with our team, but with the other team as well, kind of put the foot on the neck and try to end it. I thought we did a good job of that."

“We’ve been playing good baseball,” said White Sox starter Johnny Cueto, who returned to the mound following a sinus issue this past weekend and suffered the loss. “But there’s no excuse. They won the series and that’s how it is. That’s baseball.”