The Cleveland Guardians were one of the hottest teams in the American League when they caught and passed the Chicago White Sox in the American League Central in September. That allowed them to win the division title and earn the No. 2 seed in the AL playoffs behind the Tampa Bay Rays.
The reward for that was a bye in the Wild Card round and that is almost always a double-edged sword. The Guardians got the chance to catch their breath for a few days while the White Sox had to play in that round and compete as the No. 6 seed in the American League playoffs against the AL West champion Houston Astros.
The White Sox went on the road and unleashed their offense right away and kept the Astros on their heels by outscoring the Astros 16-6 and winning two games on the road. They did this without facing significant pressure in either game, and they were able to survive and advance to against their rested long-time rivals.
The White Sox hot streak continued in Game 1 of the series against Cleveland with a 3-0 victory. Not only did the White Sox get the jump in the series, they blanked the Guardians on three hits in a bullpen game. Hagen Smith is a young pitcher with plenty of potential, and he threw the first 2.2 innings and did not give up a hit.
The White Sox got the jump as slugger Munetaka Murakami belted a 440-foot home run in the fourth inning and Colson Montgomery added an RBI in the seventh. The White Sox are breathing easy and they can do that until Monday at 5 p.m. ET when the two teams square off in Game 2 of this best of 5 series.
That's when Jose Ramirez, Steven Kwan and the Guardians pitching will knock the rust off and win Game 2. They need to play with urgency and rekindle the fire that they played with in September.
Guardians have an advantage in starting pitching
Pitching almost always wins in a short series and that is something that works in the Guardians' favor. They will send Gavin Williams to the mound in Game 2, and he had an excellent season for manager Steven Vogt. He shared the title of ace of the Cleveland staff along with Parker Messick. Williams had a 14-8 regular season with a 3.76 earned run average with 248 striked outs in 184.1 innings. He has the capability of shutting down the Chicago lineup and the Guardians will go into this start at home with confidence.
The Guardians could not unleash their bats in Game 1 of the series, but that will change in the second game against Sean Burke of the White Sox. Burke is one of the best White Sox pitchers, but he is not going to be able to shut down a determined Cleveland attack led by Jose Ramirez and Steven Kwan. Burke had a solid 11-7 record with a 3.34 ERA and 185 strikeouts, but look for Cleveland to attack him early.
Article Continues BelowKwan is the trigger man for the Guardians offense and while he got off to a brutal start in the first half of the season, he turned it around after the All-Star break.
Kwan ended the regular season by slashing .282/.382/.349 and he was on base frequently as the Guardians made their climb to the top of the AL Central in the final six weeks of the season. While he is not a power hitter, Kwan will find a way to get on base in crucial situations. He is also one of the best all-around players in the game. Kwan is not a power hitter, but he is a sensational base runner and an outstanding defensive player in left field.
Ramirez will drive the Guardians offense in Game 2
The Guardians have been depending on Jose Ramirez to drive in key runs throughout his 14-year career in Cleveland. He did not have a typical Ramirez-type season as he battled back from a fractured left hamate bone that prevented him delivering his usual power.
After blasting 39 and 30 home runs the last two seasons, respectively, Ramirez had just 12 home runs during the regular season. Nevertheless, he is the player who will drive the Cleveland attack with his ability to hit from both sides of the plate.
He is perhaps the most underrated superstar in baseball, and he will let his teammates know that it is time for them to jump on his back and let him lead the way to a victory that squares the series.
The Guardians are far more than a two-man offensive team. Brayan Rocchio, Chase DeLauter and Travis Bazzana all delivered key hits for Cleveland during their surge in August and September. All three of them had opportunities to turn Game 1 around but failed to come through with runners in scoring position.
One game does not a slump make. Look for the Guardians to relax on an NFL Sunday and get back to work Monday with an effort that allows them to square their series.