The Chicago White Sox had two chances to close out the Cleveland Guardians and advance in the American League Division Series. Instead, they are heading back to Cleveland for a decisive Game 5 after their pitching staff completely fell apart when the team needed it most.

Chicago's offense did enough to win Thursday night, putting five runs on the board in a game that should have been within reach. Unfortunately, the pitching staff could not hold up its end of the bargain, with nearly every arm that took the mound contributing to the collapse. Outside of Bryan Hudson and Tyler Davis, the White Sox pitchers who appeared Thursday deserve plenty of blame for allowing Cleveland to extend the series.

Hagen Smith and Erik Fedde put the White Sox in trouble early

The problems began with opener Hagen Smith, who struggled to find the strike zone from the moment he took the mound. Smith walked three batters before recording three outs, forcing Chicago to turn to Erik Fedde earlier than anticipated. The plan was for Fedde to enter with a fresh inning, but Smith's inability to finish the first forced the White Sox to adjust their pitching strategy almost immediately.

Fedde managed to help Chicago escape the opening inning without allowing a run, and the White Sox kept Cleveland off the scoreboard until the fifth. However, the early baserunners were a warning sign of what was to come. Fedde eventually surrendered the first two runs of the game on a home run by Jose Ramirez, giving Cleveland the momentum it needed to take control.

Those early struggles mattered, even if they did not immediately show up on the scoreboard. The Guardians consistently found ways to put runners on base, and Chicago's pitchers never established the kind of control necessary to keep Cleveland's offense quiet. Against a team that could capitalize on mistakes, the White Sox could not afford to give away free baserunners.

The bullpen collapse ultimately cost Chicago the game

The damage only got worse as the game progressed. Jordan Hicks allowed a run, Anthony Kay surrendered two more, and Grant Taylor had the worst outing of the night, allowing four runs on four hits and two walks without recording a single out.

Taylor deserves some grace for what he accomplished over the course of the season, but Thursday was a nightmare when Chicago needed him to deliver. Allowing four runs without recording an out is difficult to overcome in any game, let alone one with a postseason series on the line. The White Sox could not afford that kind of performance from their bullpen.

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The numbers make the collapse even more frustrating. Entering Game 4, teams that scored at least four runs were 17-0 in this particular postseason scenario. Cleveland snapped that streak by putting up nine runs against Chicago, while the White Sox managed five of their own.

That tells the story of the night. The offense gave Chicago a chance to win, but the pitching staff repeatedly handed the Guardians opportunities to build their lead. When a team scores five runs in an elimination game, it should expect to have a chance to finish the job.

Now, Chicago must travel to Cleveland for Saturday night's winner-take-all matchup, and there are serious questions about who will take the mound. The starting pitching decision remains undecided, but the bigger concern is whether the White Sox can trust their bullpen after Thursday's meltdown.