White Sox tighten grip on Guardians in ALDS: AL Central and West roundup

The Chicago White Sox kept rolling through October on Monday, edging the Cleveland Guardians 4-3 to seize a 2-0 lead in their American League Division Series and extend their perfect postseason run to four games.

Chicago White Sox: perfect postseason rolls to 2-0 lead

Coming off an 84-78 regular season, the White Sox have found another gear in October. Monday’s 4-3 win over Cleveland marked their fourth straight playoff victory, all coming against the Guardians. Once again, Chicago did just enough in a tight contest, creating the small margin required to move within striking distance of the American League Championship Series.

Cleveland Guardians: another close loss, deeper ALDS hole

The Guardians finished atop the AL Central at 85-77 but now face an uphill battle. Their second consecutive loss to the White Sox, and a second straight one-run decision, leaves Cleveland down 2-0 in the Division Series. Three runs weren’t enough in this 4-3 defeat, and the Guardians will need a swift response to keep their season alive against a Chicago club that has controlled every game so far.

Sacramento Athletics: Seth Johnson has knee surgery

Out West, the Sacramento Athletics, who wrapped up the regular season at 64-98, had significant pitching news. Right-hander Seth Johnson underwent surgery on his left knee, but the club expects him to be ready for spring training in 2027. For a rebuilding staff, having Johnson available at the next camp could be important for their pitching depth moving forward.

Elsewhere in the AL Central and West, it was a quiet Monday with no other teams in action. The Detroit Tigers (76-86), Minnesota Twins (77-85) and Kansas City Royals (69-93) in the Central, along with the Houston Astros (81-81), Texas Rangers (80-82), Seattle Mariners (76-86) and Los Angeles Angels (62-100) in the West, remained idle as the spotlight stayed firmly on the White Sox–Guardians matchup.