White Sox Take Another Gut Punch In Game 4, But Don’t Count Them Out Yet

The White Sox went 1-for-7 with runners in scoring position and went homerless, failing to deliver the knockout blow. The pitching staff also struggled badly, with five of the seven pitchers used allowing at least one run and issuing too many free passes.

Grant Taylor entered a tie game in the sixth inning and allowed all six batters he faced to reach base without recording a single out. That blew a 4-3 lead and turned it into a 9-4 deficit by the end of the inning.

The White Sox combined for 31 strikeouts at the plate over Games 3 and 4, including a postseason-record 19 strikeouts in Game 3 alone. No team had ever recorded that many strikeouts while also issuing 17 walks across a two-game span, postseason or regular season.

Miguel Vargas hit a homer to spark a late rally that forced Cleveland closer Cade Smith to throw 27 pitches, which scared Guardians manager Stephen Vogt into bringing in presumed Game 5 starter Gavin Williams. Williams needed 18 high-stress pitches to record the final out, potentially affecting his availability or effectiveness for Game 5.

Sean Burke is waiting in the wings with a full five days of rest, giving Chicago a fresh arm for the decisive game. The Guardians' bullpen has also been heavily taxed this series, unlike the White Sox who have Burke ready to go.