CHICAGO, Ill. — The Cleveland Guardians weren’t ready to pack their bags and head home for the winter just yet.
With their season hanging by a thread and facing elimination Wednesday afternoon, the Guardians delivered their biggest offensive performance of the postseason, defeating the Chicago White Sox 9-3 in Game 3 of the American League Division Series at Rate Field.
The victory cuts Chicago’s advantage to 2-1 in the best-of-five series and gives Cleveland another opportunity to extend its season Thursday afternoon on the South Side.
After dropping the first two games at Progressive Field, Cleveland entered Wednesday’s contest with absolutely no margin for error. The Guardians needed their offense to wake up, their bullpen to deliver, and their veteran leadership to rise to the occasion. They finally got all three.
Jo Adell, acquired by Cleveland ahead of the August trade deadline, provided the spark the Guardians desperately needed. With two outs in the third inning, Adell ripped a bases-clearing triple down the right-field line, turning the momentum in Cleveland’s favor and giving the Guardians a 4-1 advantage.
The clutch hit silenced a raucous Chicago crowd that had arrived hoping to celebrate the White Sox’s first trip to the American League Championship Series since 2005.
For Adell, it was another memorable moment in his first postseason appearance. His triple also placed him alongside some distinguished names in Cleveland playoff history, including Omar Vizquel and Vic Wertz.
Adell became just the second Cleveland player to record multiple triples in a single postseason series, joining Kenny Lofton.
It was precisely the kind of timely hitting Cleveland had been missing throughout the opening two games of the series. While Adell provided the early fireworks, longtime franchise cornerstone José Ramírez helped put the game out of reach.
Ramírez delivered a two-run triple in the eighth inning, providing much-needed breathing room as Cleveland began pulling away from Chicago. The Guardians added two more insurance runs in the ninth inning, turning what had been a competitive contest into a convincing six-run victory.
For Ramírez, the performance was especially meaningful after battling through an injury-affected season and struggling offensively in the first two games of the series.
Cleveland’s bullpen also answered the call, with Cade Smith among the relievers helping keep Chicago’s offense under control.
The Guardians finally looked like the team that fought its way to an American League Central Division championship, showing the resilience that carried them through a challenging regular season.
Before Game 3, Guardians manager Stephen Vogt acknowledged the difficult position his team faced after losing both games in Cleveland. “We’ve backed ourselves into a corner. We know that,” Vogt said following Monday’s defeat.
But the Cleveland skipper also made it clear that his team wasn’t about to surrender.
“We are going to come ready to play on Wednesday. We know what’s ahead of us. We have to win three in a row, but that starts one at a time on Wednesday.”
Veteran outfielder Steven Kwan echoed that confidence entering the elimination contest.
“There’s no panic button. We’re not trying to do too much,” Kwan said before Game 3, emphasizing the importance of remaining focused despite the team’s difficult circumstances.
Wednesday’s performance backed up those words. Cleveland collected 11 hits and played error-free baseball, while its pitching staff limited Chicago to six hits. Smith was particularly impressive, striking out five over two scoreless innings without allowing a hit.
The White Sox had pulled within 5-3 by the sixth inning, but Cleveland refused to let the momentum slip away, scoring four unanswered runs over the final two frames.
Game four is Thursday, October 8
Rate Field • Chicago, Illinois
5 p.m. CT / 6 p.m. ET • TBS/truTV
The Guardians will once again face elimination Thursday, but this time they’ll enter the contest with momentum on their side.
Rookie left-hander Parker Messick is scheduled to start Game 4 for Cleveland, with the Guardians hoping he can deliver another strong postseason outing and give their offense an opportunity to build on Wednesday’s breakthrough.
For Chicago, the mission remains unchanged. The White Sox need just one more victory to advance to the ALCS for the first time since their World Series championship season in 2005.
For Cleveland, the formula is simple: continue producing timely hits, keep Chicago’s dangerous lineup under control, and find a way to bring the series back to Progressive Field for a winner-take-all Game 5 on Saturday.
The Guardians still have a mountain to climb, needing three consecutive victories after falling behind 2-0. But Wednesday’s offensive explosion served as a reminder that Cleveland isn’t finished fighting. The Guardians are still breathing. And in October baseball, sometimes that’s all a team needs.
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