CHICAGO — Cleveland is still alive. The Guardians avoided elimination with a 9-3 victory over the Chicago White Sox in Game 3 of the ALDS on Chicago's South Side, cutting the series deficit to 2-1 after dropping the first two games. Cleveland collected 11 hits in Game 3, more than its combined total of seven in Games 1 and 2, and scored more than three times its previous series output.
The breakthrough came with runners in scoring position, where Cleveland went 4-for-4 after opening the series 0-for. Trade deadline acquisition Jo delivered the early jolt with a walk and two hits, including a bases-clearing triple in the third inning that turned a tight game into a 4-1 lead. That followed his 108 mph, 413-foot triple to dead center in the first two games, the team's only highlight before the outburst. Jose Ramirez added to the lead in the fifth with a sharp double down the line, a steal of third and a daring score on a hard-hit grounder against a drawn-in infield to make it 5-2.
Pitching was pieced together after a shaky start. Daniel Espino opened with two strikeouts but also issued a five-pitch walk and allowed two hits and a run before exiting for Foster Griffin. Griffin stabilized the game with 2.2 innings and seven strikeouts, providing the length Cleveland desperately needed. After Hunter Gaddis struggled to close the sixth with Cleveland leading 5-3, Tim Herrin delivered one of his best outings of the season, striking out the side on 18 pitches in the seventh against Munetaka Murakami, Kyle Teel and Chase Meidroth.
Ramirez impacted the game on both sides. With the bases loaded and no outs in the bottom of the sixth and Gaddis unraveling, he ranged to his left, knocked down a liner and threw out Miguel Vargas to keep the lead intact. He then provided breathing room with a two-run triple with two outs in the eighth, extending the advantage after Chicago had stayed within striking distance for seven innings before Cleveland pulled away late.
Cade followed Herrin with an eight-pitch eighth to protect the expanded lead and close out Cleveland's first win of the series. The victory follows Cleveland's 9-3 win to cut the deficit to 2-1 and keeps the Guardians alive for at least one more game as they try to rally from down 2-0 in the ALDS.