José Ramírez Powers Guardians Comeback to Force ALDS Game 5

José Ramírez homered and drove in three runs as the Cleveland Guardians beat the Chicago White Sox 9-5 on Thursday, October 8, turning a two-game deficit into a winner-take-all American League Division Series Game 5.

Cleveland trailed 2-0 through four innings at Rate Field and briefly fell behind again after taking its first lead. The Guardians answered with six runs in the sixth, sending 10 batters to the plate and transforming a 4-3 deficit into a 9-4 advantage.

Ramírez changes the game

Patrick Bailey began Cleveland’s comeback with a pinch-hit solo homer in the fifth. Ramírez followed later in the inning by driving a 99.9 mph fastball from Jordan Hicks into the right-center-field bullpen for a two-run homer and a 3-2 lead.

The blast was Ramírez’s first postseason home run since 2024 and only his second homer since September 1. It continued a timely revival for the seven-time All-Star, who had two hits and two RBI in Cleveland’s 9-3 Game 3 win one night earlier.

Chicago reclaimed the lead in the bottom of the fifth, but the Guardians’ lineup broke through decisively in the next frame. Travis Bazzana tied the score with an RBI double before Bailey singled home the go-ahead run.

Ramírez added an infield RBI single, Chase DeLauter drove in another run and Jo Adell capped the inning with a two-run single to right. Adell now has six RBI in the series after also delivering a three-run triple in Game 3.

Cleveland’s bullpen absorbs the pressure

Guardians rookie starter Parker Messick lasted only 2 1/3 innings, forcing manager Stephen Vogt to cover the rest of the game with seven relievers. Cleveland’s pitching staff struck out 12 and limited the damage despite Chicago putting 12 runners on base.

Gavin Williams, who threw 98 pitches as Cleveland’s Game 2 starter, made his first career relief appearance to record the final three outs. He entered after Miguel Vargas homered and Munetaka Murakami walked in the ninth, then needed 18 pitches to finish the game.

The Guardians have now scored nine runs in consecutive postseason games for only the second time in franchise history, matching Games 3 and 4 of the 1997 World Series. They are also attempting to become the first team since the 2017 New York Yankees to recover from a 2-0 deficit in a best-of-five postseason series.

Winner-take-all Game 5 returns to Cleveland

Game 5 is scheduled for Saturday, October 10, at Progressive Field. The winner advances to face the Tampa Bay Rays in the American League Championship Series.

All four games in the series have been won by the road team. Chicago won the first two in Cleveland before the Guardians responded with consecutive nine-run performances at Rate Field.