White Sox post 2-0 lead

LOS ANGELES (AFP) — The Chicago White Sox defeated the Cleveland Guardians, 4-3, to take a commanding 2-0 series lead in Major League Baseball’s playoffs on Monday.

Munetaka Murakami, Braden Montgomery and Chase Meidroth drove in the winning runs at Cleveland’s Progressive Field as the White Sox took a giant step towards extending their fairytale postseason.

The White Sox — carrying the hopes of lifetime fan Pope Leo XIV — are aiming to continue one of the most remarkable turnaround seasons in baseball.

After three straight seasons with 100 or more defeats the White Sox finished the regular season with an 84-78 record, snagging the sixth seed in the American League (AL).

In their first playoff series since 2021 they ousted the Houston Astros in two games in the Wild Card round.

They now need only one more win to return to the AL Championship Series for the first time since their World Series-winning campaign in 2005.

Chicago will host Cleveland in game three of the series on Wednesday.

Cleveland had taken the lead in the first inning, when what should have been a routine throw by White Sox pitcher Sean Newcomb flew wide of first base and allowed Steven Kwan and Jose Ramirez to scamper home.

With Guardians starter Gavin Williams dominant thereafter the White Sox struggled to carve out scoring opportunities.

But they finally got on the board in the fourth inning when Japanese slugger Murakami drove a single into right field that brought home Kyle Teel.

Two innings later, the White Sox jumped into the lead.

Williams was replaced on the mound by Erik Sabrowski after giving up a single to Miguel Vargas to open the sixth inning.

Sabrowski promptly walked Randal Grichuk to leave two men on base. A wild pitch allowed the runners to advance and when Montgomery slashed a double to right field, the White Sox took a 3-2 lead.

Sabrowski was replaced by Hunter Gaddis, but the White Sox stretched their advantage when Meidroth singled to score Montgomery for a 4-2 advantage.