CLEVELAND — The American League Division Series has provided a roller coaster of emotions for the Cleveland Guardians and Chicago White Sox.
Road teams have won the first four contests, setting up a winner-take-all Game 5 on Saturday night.
Guardians right-hander Gavin Williams (0-0, 3.00 ERA) takes on White Sox right-hander Sean Burke (1-0, 3.86 ERA) in a battle of traditional starters.
The Tampa Bay Rays await the victor in the AL Championship Series.
“Obviously, it’s an honor to be able to start this game and go out there and do my thing for the guys,” said Burke, who allowed one run in 5 1/3 innings as the bulk reliever in Game 2.
“I empty the tank every single time I’m out there, so this is no different. I’m giving 100% of everything I have.”
Williams had been penciled in three days earlier, but his availability became a question mark after he came out of the bullpen for the final three outs Thursday in Cleveland’s 9-5 win in Game 4.
According to Guardians manager Stephen Vogt, “The Big Rig” earned the right to make the decision himself. The staff ace did so shortly after walking off the field.
“The body feels good right now, been in the training room all morning just figuring it out,” said Williams, who threw 18 pitches in his first career relief outing.
“I throw a (bullpen session) on those (specific off) days, and everybody knows it. Just being able to feel the mound in a game-like situation is even better at that point.”
It’s essentially a rematch of Game 2, when Williams struck out 11 over five-plus innings and allowed two runs. Burke was the winning pitcher as Chicago rallied for a 4-3 triumph Monday.
Burke has been brilliant against the Guardians this season, going 3-0 with a 1.19 ERA over 22 2/3 innings. He has won in Cleveland in his last two matchups, giving up one earned run in 10 1/3 frames.
“I’ve really seen his confidence grow,” White Sox manager Will Venable said. “It’s how he finishes his pitches, how he walks around the mound after he gets an out. Sean is a guy that’s got the right mentality to figure out a way to get it done.”
Williams’ work against the White Sox has been a mixed bag, with an 0-1 record and a 3.76 ERA in six total appearances (five starts). He has struck out 40 over 26 1/3 innings and averaged 5.1 innings per start.
“Gavin wants the ball, we want him to have the ball, and it’s his game,” Vogt said. “The game will tell us when it’s time to move on, or maybe he takes it the whole way. We don’t know. We’ve got to get there and find out.”
Of more concern for Cleveland is closer Cade Smith, who pitched two innings in Game 3 and was going to do the same in Game 4 until faltering in the ninth. The MLB saves co-leader tossed 50 total pitches.
White Sox counterpart Grant Taylor, who earned saves in the first two games, declared himself good to go after a disastrous four-run, zero-out night in Game 4.
Smith, however, spent Friday receiving treatment at the ballpark and opted out of a scheduled press conference.
“I don’t know if it’s something that we can push to a ton of pitches with Cade,” Vogt admitted. “But when you have to play three straight elimination games, there’s going to be some high volume.”
The series began with a pair of games in Cleveland, where White Sox pitchers held the hosts to seven total hits. Munetaka Murakami and Braden Montgomery provided the go-ahead RBIs.
Chicago’s dreams of clinching in the Windy City were dashed by Jose Ramirez and Jo Adell, who each totaled five RBIs as the Central Division-champion Guardians scored nine runs in both Games 3 and 4.
As a result, the division rivals will contest the 40th ALDS Game 5 under the current format. Home teams are 18-21 all-time.
“We’re obviously thinking about the game and the situation a lot,” Cleveland second baseman Travis Bazzana said. “You’ll get some butterflies, some nerves, and a little bit of a good heart rate as we get closer and closer to game time.”
–Brian Dulik, Field Level Media
