The White Sox beat the Cleveland Guardians 3-0 at Progressive Field to take Game 1 of the ALDS.White Sox manager Will Venable deployed a bullpen game to begin the series, and his pitching staff was fantastic.This page may contain affiliate links to legal sports betting partners.
If you sign up or place a wager, FOX News may be compensated.This content was created by a team that works independently from the FOX newsroom.Grant Taylor led the way with a Herculean effort, pitching the final four innings of the game in the longest outing of his career and earning a rare four-inning save.
It was the first four-inning save in a postseason game since Houston Astros pitcher Lance McCullers Jr.accomplished the feat in 2017 against the New York Yankees in the ALCS.CLICK HERE FOR MORE OUTKICK SPORTS COVERAGEChicago White Sox's Munetaka Murakami reacts after hitting a two-run home run against the Cleveland Guardians during the fourth inning in Game 1 of the American League Division Series on Saturday, Oct.
3, 2026, in Cleveland.(AP Photo/Phil Long)In four innings, Taylor struck out six hitters and yielded just two hits.
It was a rare game where the pitcher who finished the game for the winning team pitched more innings than the starter.Hagen Smith was the opener for the White Sox, and he was cruising until he wasn’t.After retiring the first eight batters he faced, he walked three consecutive batters to load the bases.Venable had seen enough from Smith and turned the ball over to lefty Bryan Hudson to face left-handed hitter Chase DeLauter.
Hudson escaped the jam by inducing a weak flyout from DeLauter to keep the game scoreless through three innings.Chicago White Sox relief pitcher Grant Taylor reacts after a win over the Cleveland Guardians in Game 1 of the American League Division Series on Saturday, Oct.3, 2026, in Cleveland.
(AP Photo/Tim Phillis)However, two batters later, the game was no longer scoreless.White Sox third baseman Miguel Vargas led off the top of the...