Guardians force Game 5 after going down 0-2 in ALDS, continuing 120-year drought for White Sox

The Chicago White Sox welcomed the Cleveland Guardians to the South Side this week with a 2-0 lead in the ALDS and a funny workout playlist featuring songs such as "End of the Road" by Boyz II Men.No one's laughing now.For a second straight game, the Guardians rode an offensive outburst to a road win on Thursday, this time posting a 9-5 victory in Game 4. The series is now tied 2-2 and headed back to Cleveland, with the Guardians on the verge of becoming the first team since the 2017 New York Yankees to erase a 2-0 lead in a division series.Game 5 is scheduled for 8 p.m. ET Saturday, with both starting pitchers TBA as of Thursday evening. The Tampa Bay Rays await the winner in the ALCS.At the very least, the Guardians' win means one of MLB's odder droughts will continue. The White Sox haven't clinched a playoff series at home since they won their first title in the 1906 World Series, a span of 120 years that includes 11 trips to the postseason. That was 10 popes ago.Game 4 had been shaping up to be delightfully chaotic, with a pair of lead changes in the fifth inning alone, but all of that turned out to be setup for a knockout punch from Cleveland in the sixth. A slow-motion disaster for Chicago began with a hit-by-pitch and steal for Angel Martínez, then an RBI double from Travis Bazzana to tie the game 4-4.The White Sox knew the risks of allowing the rally to continue, so they made the natural choice. They brought in relief ace Grant Taylor. But sometimes the obvious move just doesn't work out.Taylor, who posted a 2.25 ERA in the regular season and didn't allow an earned run in his first three multi-inning postseason appearances, faced six Cleveland batters and didn't get a single out. Jo Adell makes it a SIX-run inning for the Guardians! pic.twitter.com/dIVeEDZ8xc— MLB (@MLB) October 9, 2026 The game unraveled for Chicago with every baserunner, going Patrick Bailey single, Brayan Rocchio walk, Steven Kwan walk, José Ramírez single, Chase DeLauter single, Jo Adell single. By the time the White Sox mercifully pulled Taylor for Bryan Hudson, it was a 9-4 game at a stunned Rate Field.It was a messy game up and down for a Chicago pitching staff that used Hagen Smith as an opener and Erick Fedde as the bulk guy behind him. The unit walked seven and hit one batter against only three strikeouts. All the Guardians had to do was be patient, though they also got their first two homers of the postseason from Bailey and Ramírez in the fifth inning.PATRICK BAILEY!Guardians take the lead again! pic.twitter.com/moTngem8i5— MLB (@MLB) October 9, 2026 The one consolation for Chicago is that the Guardians felt the need to bring in Gavin Williams for the ninth inning after Cade Smith surrendered a home run and walk to begin the ninth. It was Williams' first career relief appearance, two days before he is expected to start Game 5 in Cleveland.