White Sox one win from ALCS
The Chicago White Sox defeated the Cleveland Guardians 4-3 on Monday in Game 2 of their American League Division Series, taking a 2-0 series lead. Chicago is now 4-0 this postseason, with every win coming on the road. The White Sox are one victory away from their first ALCS appearance since their 2005 World Series title.[S1][S2]
The three position players Chicago received in the 2024 Garrett Crochet trade with the Boston Red Sox — Chase Meidroth, Braden Montgomery and Kyle Teel — combined to go 4 for 12 with 3 RBI in Game 2. Teel singled leading off the fourth and scored Chicago's first run on a Munetaka Murakami single. Montgomery's two-out, two-run double in the sixth turned a 2-1 deficit into a 3-2 lead, and Meidroth followed with an RBI single. The Crochet trade bounty accounted for four of Chicago's six hits and either scored or drove in all four runs. Sean Burke, not part of the trade, threw 5 1/3 innings of one-run ball behind two openers, striking out six.[S1]
Rays capitalize on Yankees errors
The Tampa Bay Rays beat the New York Yankees 5-2 on Monday to take a 2-0 ALDS lead. Tampa Bay, which had the AL's best record and a Wild Card Series bye, is 2-0 in the postseason. The Rays are one win from their first ALCS trip since 2020. New York was charged with four errors — by Jazz Chisholm Jr., George Lombard Jr., Ryan McMahon and Austin Wells — plus three other misplays not scored as errors.[S1]
The Rays ranked 22nd in home runs during the regular season and had the lowest strikeout rate, while the Yankees ranked second in homers and fourth-highest in strikeout rate. Tampa Bay's contact approach forced New York's defense to falter repeatedly. A four-run fifth inning began with Spencer Jones taking a poor route on a leadoff single, followed by a Lombard bobble with the infield in and a Luis Gárcia Jr. error that extended the inning. Richie Palacios then delivered a two-run single for a 5-1 lead.[S1]
Rice's heroics wasted in defeat
Ben Rice went 2 for 3 with two home runs and a walk in Game 2, but his effort was overshadowed by his teammates' mistakes. Rice is 7 for 15 with four homers in New York's four postseason games, making him the best hitter in baseball this October. He slugged 41 home runs this year and was an All-Star, with 67 homers over the past two seasons — the 13th most in baseball — despite not becoming a lineup mainstay until late last April. With Aaron Judge injured, Rice has tried to carry the offense, but the Yankees have scored only two runs in the ALDS, both on his solo homers, and have nearly as many errors (four) as hits (five).[S1]
Guardians' offense missing
The Cleveland Guardians have managed little at the plate through 18 innings of playoff baseball. Teams entered Monday hitting .211/.293/.352 this postseason and .174/.277/.295 in the Division Series, underscoring how difficult October hitting can be. Cleveland now trails 2-0 and must find answers quickly to avoid elimination.[S1]
