Guardians Beat White Sox 2-0 in Game 5, Complete ALDS Comeback from 0-2 Cleveland Guardians pitchers combined for a nine-inning postseason record 21 strikeouts in a 2-0 Game 5 win over the Chicago White Sox, completing a comeback from an 0-2 deficit in the ALDS. The Guardians advance to the AL Championship Series against the Tampa Bay Rays, with Game 1 on Monday night in Florida. The Cleveland Guardians completed a comeback from an 0-2 deficit in the American League Division Series by defeating the Chicago White Sox 2-0 in Game 5 on Saturday night at Progressive Field. Cleveland pitchers combined to strike out a nine-inning postseason record 21 White Sox batters. The Guardians advance to the AL Championship Series against the Tampa Bay Rays. Game 1 is set for Monday night in Florida. Cleveland is seeking its first World Series trip since 2016 and its first title since 1948, the longest championship drought among MLB teams.Gavin Williams Dominates Postseason StartGavin Williams got the start for Cleveland and dominated from the jump. Of the 21 batters he faced, 12 went down on strikes. He tossed 5.2 scoreless innings, allowing just one hit, two walks, and a hit batsman. Williams did not allow a hit until Kyle Teel looped a knuckle-curve into right field with two outs in the sixth inning.He also got 22 swings and misses. Two days after recording the save in Game 4, Williams became just the third pitcher in postseason history to get the last out of a game and then start the following game when his team faced elimination in both. His 24 strikeouts over three games tied for second-most in a best-of-five postseason series. Jose Ramirez gave Williams a cushion by golfing a two-run home run in the fourth inning.The pitch was 8.88 inches off the ground, the lowest for a postseason home run since at least 2008 and the lowest of Ramirez's career. That was all the Guardians needed, as Williams got five more outs before the bullpen finished the job. Erik Sabrowski, Evan Gaddis, and Cade Smith combined to get the final 10 outs, striking out nine in the process. Sabrowski struck out the lone batter he faced.Gaddis and Smith each punched out four batters. Cade Smith earned his first career five-out save and struck out the side in the ninth, blowing a fastball by Tristan Peters for the final out and setting off a celebration at Progressive Field. Ramirez is a hero after what had been quite the down season.Jose Ramirez Rebounds With PowerHis .235 average, .320 on-base percentage, and .368 slugging percentage were all his lowest marks since 2015, when he spent some time in Triple-A. He started the series 0-for-6 but went 5-for-12 in the final three games, with two homers, a triple, and a double. The White Sox got just three hits, put only nine balls in play, and struck out 75 times over the series.The White Sox have been prone to strikeouts all season, with the fifth-highest strikeout rate in the league at 24.1 percent during the regular season. On Saturday, that number jumped to 63.6 percent. Chicago, the first team to reach the playoffs after three straight 100-loss seasons, has not won the World Series since 2004. The White Sox will seek a fresh direction heading into the next external challenge.The result was a meaningful affirmation of Cleveland's strategy, with elite pitching and timely hitting highlighting a well-balanced team that can thrive under pressure. Cleveland lost the first two games of the series on its own home field, giving the White Sox a chance to clinch a series at home for the first time since 1906. Instead, the Guardians won three consecutive elimination games.Guardians Advance To Championship SeriesThe franchise and its fan base are hopeful as the team approaches its first World Series appearance since 2016. Defensive plays were also a factor. Chicago third baseman Miguel Vargas tagged Petey Halpin out on a near-turnaround play in the fifth inning. That came two innings after Ramirez homered for the second straight game.The run was preceded by a critical strikeout of White Sox outfielder Cavan Hunter, which prevented a potential rally. Tampa Bay enters the AL Championship Series fresh off a sweep over its AL East rival New York Yankees. It is Cleveland's second trip to the ALCS in the last three seasons. The Rays will host the Guardians on Monday night.