Toronto Star
· collected 2026-10-03 · by Joe Reedy The Associated Press
The Cleveland Guardians and Chicago White Sox open their AL Division Series rivalry in Cleveland, with Game 1 set for Saturday. Despite a close regular-season series where each team won seven games, the Guardians clinched the division title and will face off against Chicago, which recently swept Houston in the Wild Card round. Both teams feature young rosters; the Guardians could have up to seven players making their postseason debut, while Chicago's Hagen Smith and Cleveland’s Parker Messick will start as rookies in Game 1.
Written locally by qwen2.5:14b on 2026-10-03,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Story summary
The Houston Astros and the Chicago White Sox, two unlikely playoff teams with remarkable turnaround stories, faced off in a best-of-three AL Wild Card Series starting on Tuesday in Houston. The Astros clinched their division title despite ending the regular season at exactly .500 (81-81), marking them as baseball’s first such division winner. In contrast, the White Sox overcame losing 100 games each of the last three seasons to secure a playoff spot.
In Game 1 on Tuesday, the White Sox took an early lead with four runs in the first inning and won 6-3 despite the Astros employing a bullpen game strategy led by AJ Blumbaugh. The announced attendance was sparse at 34,011, leading to fan frustration among the players who heard boos throughout the game.
The White Sox continued their strong performance on Wednesday, sweeping the series with a 7-3 victory in Game 2. This marked Chicago's first playoff series win since 2005 and advanced them to face the AL Central champion Cleveland Guardians in the Division Series starting Saturday in Cleveland.
Despite Houston’s playoff woes at home—dropping their ninth straight home playoff game—they expressed disappointment over fan support, with players like Bennett Sousa feeling that they needed more encouragement from their audience. Manager Will Venable of the White Sox praised his team for maintaining belief and achieving a historic turnaround to clinch this victory.
Written for “White Sox Playoff Run” on 2026-10-05,
grounded in this article and the 16 other(s) covering the same event.
CLEVELAND (AP) — Stephen Vogt and Will Venable don’t need to pore over extra scouting reports as the Cleveland Guardians get set to host the Chicago White Sox in Saturday’s Game 1 of the AL Division Series.
asserted
Guardians → need → Series
The AL Central rivals last faced each other two weeks ago, when the Guardians took two of three and moved into the division lead.
asserted
Guardians → face → lead
Cleveland ended up winning its third straight division title and 14th since 1995.
asserted
Cleveland → end → 1995
Chicago won the season series 7-6 after Cleveland took 11 of 13 in 2025.
asserted
Cleveland → win → 2025
It’s the third straight year the Guardians will open the postseason against a division opponent.
asserted
Guardians → ’ → opponent
They faced Detroit in the 2024 Division Series and in the Wild Card Series last year.
asserted
They → face → Series
“There’s a little bit of a rivalry there because all three years that’s who you’ve been racing with to get in.
asserted
you → ’ → who
There’s a lot of things that make this series really exciting,” said Vogt, Cleveland’s manager.
asserted
Vogt → ’ → things
“I do think there’s no secrets.
asserted
I → think → ?
We know them.
asserted
We → know → them
They know us.
asserted
They → know → us
So it’s just go out and execute and let’s see who can win three games before the other team.”
asserted
who → go → team
Venable pointed out that only one run separated the teams this season.
asserted
run → point → teams
Chicago had a 58-57 edge.
asserted
Chicago → have → edge
“I mean, it really has been crazy kind of the back and forth that we’ve had all year.
asserted
we → mean → that
So we’re excited about the opportunity to play these guys, but we know full well how challenging it is to beat them,” the White Sox manager said.
asserted
manager → ’re → them
Chicago comes in with momentum after its two-game Wild Card Series sweep at Houston.
asserted
Chicago → come → Houston
Nine players made their postseason debuts in that series, including second baseman Chase Meidroth and catcher Kyle Teel.
asserted
players → make → Meidroth
Meidroth went 4 for 7 with a homer and four RBIs against the Astros, while Teel was 3 for 10.
asserted
Teel → go → 10
Cleveland (85-77) has the third-youngest lineup in the American League and used 145 different batting orders this season.
asserted
Cleveland → have → orders
Depending on final roster decisions, the Guardians could have as many as seven players making their postseason debut, including Jo Adell, who was acquired from the Los Angeles Angels near the trade deadline.
uncertain
who → depend → deadline
Rookie matchup in Game 1
Both teams will send rookies to the mound in Game 1 with Chicago’s Hagen Smith opposing Cleveland’s Parker Messick.
asserted
Smith → send → Messick
According to Sportradar, it will be the 23rd postseason game in which both teams used a rookie starting pitcher.
uncertain
teams → accord → pitcher
Chicago will begin the series with a bullpen game.
asserted
Chicago → begin → game
Smith will be the opener again after throwing three scoreless innings in Tuesday’s 6-3 victory at Houston in Game 1 of the Wild Card Series.
asserted
Smith → throw → Series
Smith (3-3, 1.29 ERA) made three appearances against Cleveland in the regular season, going 1-1 with a 3.18 ERA.
asserted
Smith → make → ERA
The left-hander allowed the go-ahead run during the sixth inning of Cleveland’s 6-3 victory on Sept. 16 that moved the Guardians into the AL Central lead.
asserted
that → allow → lead
“I think he gives us a really good shot up front here.
asserted
he → think → shot
I do feel like we can lean on some of the bullpen arms to get us through some bulk here and Hagen is as good as any for us,” Venable said.
asserted
Venable → feel → us
Messick (12-9, 2.56 ERA) will go against the White Sox for the fifth time this season.
asserted
Messick → go → time
The left-hander is 2-1 with a 2.81 ERA and has won his last two starts against Chicago.
asserted
hander → win → Chicago
“Every lineup you’re going to face is pretty good.
asserted
you → go → ?
And I’ve got just as much information on them as they do on me, so I think it’s just best stuff on best stuff and whoever executes more pitches is going to win and whoever hits more mistakes is going to win,” Messick said.
asserted
Messick → get → mistakes
Vogt could tell the White Sox would be better this year
The heartiest of White Sox fans, including Pope Leo XIV, could have envisioned their dramatic turnaround from three consecutive 100-loss seasons to winning their first postseason series in 21 years.
Vogt saw signs beginning last season that Chicago’s rebuild would take root.
uncertain
rebuild → tell → root
“I thought they had some really good players last year but records don’t always tell the full story of a team.
asserted
records → think → team
You could tell at spring training (this year) this is going to be a different team.
uncertain
this → tell → training
What they’ve done putting it together has been really cool,” Vogt said.
asserted
Vogt → do → it
Cleveland is batting .255 since the Aug. 3 trade deadline, second-best in the American League.
asserted
Cleveland → bat → League
The Guardians were 14th with a .231 average before adding Adell and Nathaniel Lowe.
asserted
Guardians → add → Adell
Adell had a team-leading 32 RBIs since coming to the Guardians while Lowe drove in 27, including a big league-best eight sacrifice flies.
asserted
Lowe → have → flies
…and 4 more, not listed.
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