Guardians Force Winner-Take-All ALDS Game 5 With Six-Run Sixth Inning in Chicago

The Cleveland Guardians kept their postseason alive in emphatic fashion Thursday night, erasing a one-run deficit with a six-run sixth inning to beat the Chicago White Sox 9-5 in Game 4 of the American League Division Series at Rate Field.

The win ties the best-of-five series at 2-2 and sends it back to Cleveland for a winner-take-all Game 5 on Saturday at Progressive Field. The Guardians, who dropped the first two games of the series at home, have now won consecutive games to force the decisive matchup.

Game 4 Recap: A Rally That Changed the Series

Entering the sixth inning trailing 4-3, the Guardians sent 10 batters to the plate. The rally began when Angel Martínez was hit by a pitch, stole second base, and scored on a double by Travis Bazzana that just eluded the glove of White Sox right fielder Braden Montgomery.

The hits kept coming. Patrick Bailey singled, Brayan Rocchio and Steven Kwan drew walks, and José Ramírez, Chase DeLauter, and Jo Adell each added singles. By the time the inning ended, Cleveland had scored six runs on six hits and two walks, flipping a 4-3 deficit into a 9-3 lead.

The six-run inning is tied for the third-most runs in a single postseason inning in Cleveland franchise history, matching Game 2 of the 1999 ALDS. It trails only the seven-run fifth inning in Game 4 of the 2007 ALCS and the seven-run 11th inning in Game 2 of that same series.

Key facts
| Item | Detail |
|——|——–|
| Series score | Guardians 2, White Sox 2 |
| Game 4 final | Guardians 9, White Sox 5 |
| Deciding inning | Six runs in the sixth inning |
| Game 5 date/location | Saturday, Oct. 11 at Progressive Field |
| ALCS opponent | Tampa Bay Rays (awaiting winner) |

Cleveland’s Postseason History in This Spot

The Guardians are now one win away from advancing to the American League Championship Series to face the Tampa Bay Rays. Of the 18 previous teams to fall behind 2-0 in a best-of-five postseason series before winning the next two games, 10 (56%) have gone on to win Game 5.

In winner-take-all games at home, postseason teams hold a 70-68 record overall, including 19-22 in Division Series play. Cleveland will have the home crowd at Progressive Field, where the team went 49-32 during the regular season.

This marks only the second time in franchise history that Cleveland has scored nine or more runs in consecutive postseason games, following Games 3 and 4 of the 1997 World Series. The Guardians won Game 3 by a 9-3 margin before Thursday’s 9-5 victory.

Manager Stephen Vogt on the Atmosphere

Manager Stephen Vogt, in his first postseason leading the club, addressed the team’s mindset entering a hostile road environment earlier in the week. “I always ask the players, ‘What do you like better? Do you like to make 50,000 people go crazy, or do you like to shut 50,000 people up?’ They’re both very different feelings, but they’re equally as fun,” Vogt said.

The silence that fell over Rate Field in the sixth inning Thursday clearly fell into the latter category. The White Sox, playing in their first postseason since 2021, had taken a 4-3 lead into the sixth before the Guardians’ eruption.

What’s at Stake in Game 5

The winner of Game 5 will travel to face the Tampa Bay Rays in the ALCS. The Rays swept the Oakland Athletics in their Division Series and have been idle since Tuesday, giving them extra rest as they await their opponent.

For the Guardians, a win Saturday would mark their first ALCS appearance since 2016, when they reached the World Series. For the White Sox, a win would send them to the ALCS for the first time since 2005, the year they won the World Series.

Game 5 pitching matchups have not yet been announced, but both teams are expected to use their top available arms in the decisive game. The Guardians have not named a starter, while the White Sox will likely turn to their ace on full rest.

Source: MLB Official News RSS – https://www.mlb.com/news/guardians-win-alds-game-4-2026

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