CHICAGO URBAN DAILY
CHICAGO (CHICAGO URBAN DAILY)— The celebration is on hold. The South Side’s October party just got crashed.
The Cleveland Guardians avoided elimination Wednesday night, pounding the Chicago White Sox 9-3 in Game 3 of the AL Division Series at Rate Field to cut Chicago’s series lead to 2-1 and force a Game 4 tonight.
Jose Ramirez wrote the script. Hitless in the series and playing through an unhealed left wrist, Cleveland’s star walked and scored in a four-run third inning that Jo Adell capped with a bases-clearing triple. Ramirez doubled in the fifth, stole third and scored on a groundout, then made a diving stop at third with the bases loaded in the sixth to preserve a two-run lead. His two-run triple in the eighth buried the Sox for good.
Cleveland’s seven pitchers combined for 19 strikeouts — and the Guardians hit two postseason triples in a game for the first time in franchise history. The Guardians piled up 11 hits, more than their total from the first two games combined.
The Sox fanned 19 times and went 2-for-11 with runners in scoring position. Kyle Teel’s first-inning RBI double gave Chicago an early 1-0 lead, and Foster Griffin set a franchise reliever record with seven strikeouts in 2 2/3 innings — but it wasn’t enough. The loss ended Chicago’s four-game postseason winning streak and denied the Sox a chance to clinch their first postseason series at home since 1906 in front of 40,590 fans dressed in black.
“100% confidence,” manager Will Venable said after the game. “The story of our group is being able to bounce back.”
Game 4 is tonight at Rate Field. One win, and the Sox still dance. Lose, and it’s winner-take-all Game 5.
Stay tuned to Chicago Urban Daily for postseason coverage.
Reported by Chicago Urban Daily News. Visit chicagourbandailynews.com for updates.
