Guardians beat White Sox 9-5 to force ALDS Game 5 in Cleveland as José Ramírez homers in comeback

The Cleveland Guardians have pulled level in their American League Division Series with the Chicago White Sox. They won Game 4 9-5 at Chicago's Rate Field on Thursday night, 8 October (US time), which was Friday morning in Malaysia. The best-of-five series is now 2-2 and goes back to Cleveland for a deciding Game 5 at Progressive Field. First pitch is at 8pm Eastern time on Saturday, which is 8am on Sunday, 11 October, in Malaysia.

How Cleveland turned it around

Chicago looked in control for four innings. They led 2-0, helped by a sacrifice fly from Sam Antonacci in the third, and Cleveland managed only one hit in that time. The fifth inning changed that. Patrick Bailey started the inning with a pinch-hit home run, and José Ramírez put Cleveland ahead 3-2 with a homer to right-centre off a 99.9mph fastball from Jordan Hicks. It was Ramírez's fifth career postseason home run.

The White Sox answered straight away. Antonacci was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded to tie the game, and Brenton Doyle's sacrifice fly made it 4-3 to Chicago. That was their last lead.

In the sixth, Travis Bazzana's RBI double tied the game at 4-4, with Angel Martínez scoring after being hit by a pitch and stealing a base. Cleveland then scored six runs in the inning, ending with a two-run single from Jo Adell. Miguel Vargas hit a solo home run for Chicago in the ninth, his first postseason homer, and the White Sox got two runners on base before the game ended.

A long night for both bullpens

The two teams used 15 pitchers between them in a game that lasted three hours and 39 minutes in front of 39,920 fans. Erik Sabrowski got the win for Cleveland, and Chicago starter Anthony Kay took the loss. Reliever Grant Taylor had not given up a run in the first two games but was charged with four runs without getting an out.

Gavin Williams pitched the final three outs for the Guardians on two days' rest. It was the first relief appearance of his career, and he threw 18 pitches after throwing 98 as a starter on Monday. Williams led the AL with 248 strikeouts in the regular season, and Cleveland has not yet confirmed its Game 5 starter.

What is at stake in Game 5

The series looked close to over after Chicago won the first two games in Cleveland, 3-0 and 4-3. The Guardians then won 9-3 in Game 3 and 9-5 in Game 4, scoring nine runs in consecutive postseason games for only the second time in their history. Adell has driven in six runs in the series.

For the White Sox, a win would mean their first trip to the AL Championship Series since 2005, the year they won the World Series. Steven Kwan said Cleveland felt they had let their home fans down in the first two games and wanted another chance to make up for it.

The Game 5 winner plays the Tampa Bay Rays in the ALCS. The Rays swept the New York Yankees, and Game 1 is at Tampa Bay on Monday, 12 October, at 8pm ET (8am Tuesday in Malaysia).

NLCS starts first

In the National League, the Los Angeles Dodgers and Milwaukee Brewers start the NLCS on Sunday, 11 October, at 8pm ET. That is 8am on Monday in Malaysia.

Key takeaways

• The Guardians beat the White Sox 9-5 in Game 4 to tie the ALDS 2-2 after losing the first two games at home.
• Home runs from Patrick Bailey and José Ramírez in the fifth, then a six-run sixth inning, turned the game.
• Game 5 is in Cleveland at 8am Sunday, Malaysia time.
• The winner meets the Tampa Bay Rays in the ALCS from Monday (US time).

FAQ

When is Guardians vs White Sox Game 5 in Malaysia time? First pitch is 8pm ET on Saturday, 10 October, which is 8am on Sunday, 11 October, in Malaysia.

Who won ALDS Game 4? Cleveland won 9-5 in Chicago, with home runs from Patrick Bailey and José Ramírez and six runs in the sixth inning.

Who does the winner play next? The Tampa Bay Rays, who swept the Yankees, in the American League Championship Series.

Sources: MLB.com, NBC Chicago, OutKick, CBS Sports