The Chicago White Sox are hanging on by a thread after losing Game 4 of the ALDS 9-5 to the Cleveland Guardians on Thursday. Now the series heads back to Cleveland for the do-or-die Game 5.
Not only did they lose, but the White Sox also continue a postseason home losing streak. Since 1906, Chicago hasn't clinched a postseason series at home, per Bob Nightengale of USA Today.
The White Sox won the World Series in 1906, 1917, and 2005. In each of those title runs, they didn't win a series at home.
In 2005, Chicago swept the Boston Red Sox in 3 straight games in the ALDS, winning the clinching game in Boston. Then, they defeated the then Anaheim Angels in the ALCS in five games, winning Game 5 in Anaheim. Finally, Chicago clinched the World Series in a four-game sweep of the Houston Astros, winning the clinching Game 4 in Houston.
Now, Chicago faces the daunting task of winning on the road as momentum quickly shifts.
This follows an improbable White Sox run to the postseason for the first time in 2021. They secured a Wild Card berth after a tough battle with the Guardians. They also overcame 3 straight 100+ loss seasons with smart trades, a vibrant culture, and inside-baseball mastery to get to this point.
The White Sox swept the Astros in the AL Wild Card series before winning the first 2 games of the ALDS against the AL Central title winners. Now, time is of the essence.
Game 5 is scheduled for Saturday at 7:00 pm CST/8:00 pm EST at Progressive Field in Cleveland.