The Chicago White Sox took a 1-0 lead in their ALDS matchup against the Cleveland Guardians with a 3-0 victory in Game 1. Munetaka Murakami delivered a two-run home run in the fourth inning, sending the ball 440 feet into the right field seats. The White Sox had a strong start from their pitching staff, with starter Hagen Smith retiring the first eight batters he faced.
Smith’s performance was interrupted in the third inning when he walked three straight batters and loaded the bases with two outs according to Yahoo Sports. Cleveland’s starter Parker Messick struggled by giving up two runs on four hits in 4⅓ innings according to a report from ESPN. The Guardians did not get their first hit until Travis Bazzana’s double in the fourth inning.
After Smith's outing the White Sox relied on their bullpen to finish the game. Grant Taylor took over in the sixth inning and pitched effectively while finishing the game with a save. Taylor’s performance was praised by catcher Kyle Teel who called it some of the best pitching he had ever seen.
The White Sox added one more run in the seventh inning on Colson Montgomery’s RBI double after Kyle Teel scored when Austin Hedges could not hold the throw at the plate.
The Guardians had the bases loaded with two outs in both the third and fourth innings but failed to score. Despite their struggles at the plate the Guardians were unable to capitalize on multiple scoring opportunities. The White Sox have now won nine of their last 11 games since the end of the regular season.
This was the second time this postseason that the White Sox used a bullpen game.
Game 2 is scheduled for Monday afternoon at Progressive Field in Cleveland. The series will move to Chicago for Game 3 on Wednesday. Taylor became the sixth pitcher in MLB postseason history to work at least four innings and record a save.
The White Sox have now played three playoff games and have never trailed in any of them. This year the White Sox were not expected to make a deep playoff run after losing 121 games in 2024 and 102 in 2025. Despite their low expectations the team has shown strong performance and resilience throughout the playoffs.
The White Sox bullpen was credited with keeping the game under control in key moments. Hudson recorded the final out of the third inning and helped keep the game scoreless. The Guardians’ hitting was inconsistent throughout the game with only one hit in the first four innings.
The White Sox have now advanced to the ALDS for the first time since 2021. This season’s success is a major shift from their previous struggles especially in the last two years.