Chicago White Sox at Cleveland Guardians

White Sox Answer Two Walk-Offs With A Series-Salvaging Win

By Pablo SanchezUpdated 1d ago·2 min read
2:00 PM ET
Chicago White SoxCWS(46-42)
Cleveland GuardiansCLE(47-43)
76
FINAL
123456789RHE
CWS
213001000791
CLE
3000300006120
Final box score — data via ESPN.
Chicago White Sox
Chris Murphy
(2-0)·5.03 ERA
Jun 24 vs Guardians
ND
1.1IP
0ER
2K
0BB
23P
Cleveland Guardians
Tanner Bibee
(2-9)·4.06 ERA
Jun 30 vs Rangers
L
7.0IP
2ER
2K
0BB
91P
On the mound — starting pitchers.

Chris Murphy got the ball for Chicago in the series finale, and Tanner Bibee (2-9, 4.06 ERA) started for Cleveland at 2:00 PM ET, both pitchers trying to settle a series that had already turned emotional. Bibee had looked like a different pitcher his last time out, working 7 innings and allowing just 2 earned runs against Texas, while Murphy's most recent look at this same Cleveland lineup was a clean, scoreless relief stint.

Cleveland was already playing shorthanded, with Jose Ramirez still working back from a hand injury and Angel Martinez just getting back to batting practice after a foot issue, which meant more responsibility fell on the rest of the lineup and on Bibee to keep the Guardians in front. Chicago has its own absences to manage, but Munetaka Murakami's rehab progress this week is a sign the lineup could get reinforcements soon.

None of that lineup shuffling stopped either side from scoring in bunches Sunday, and this series had already been defined by chaos more than execution — extra-inning walk-offs, a bullpen implosion, and a manager publicly side-eyeing the opposing grounds crew.

The finale followed the same script as the rest of the week: fast starts, no lead safe. The White Sox jumped out 2-1 after one and 6-2 through three, only to watch Cleveland claw back with a 3-run fourth to tie it. Chicago's answer was a run in the sixth that held up, backed by 9 hits and a lineup that's clearly stopped being intimidated by Progressive Field after Friday and Saturday's late-inning gut punches.

Those first two losses of the series were the story going in — Anthony Kay getting pulled early after a tarp delay he thought was suspiciously timed, and Seranthony Dominguez, working in a diminished bullpen role, walking two batters that both came around to score in another extra-inning defeat. Winning the last two games of the set, capped by Sunday's slugfest, is exactly the kind of response a clubhouse needs after accusing the home team of gamesmanship.

Chicago White Sox
Chicago White Sox
(46-42)
Jul 4W@ Guardians3-1
Jul 3L@ Guardians3-4
Jul 2L@ Guardians5-6
Jul 1L@ Orioles1-6
Jun 30W@ Orioles9-3
Cleveland Guardians
Cleveland Guardians
(47-43)
Jul 4Lvs White Sox1-3
Jul 3Wvs White Sox4-3
Jul 2Wvs White Sox6-5
Jul 1Wvs Rangers9-4
Jun 30Lvs Rangers2-4
Recent form.

Cleveland's saving grace here is that the season-long picture still favors them a touch — a 47-43 record edges out Chicago's 46-42 — but this series is a reminder that record alone doesn't settle head-to-head matchups. Bibee's start was supposed to be the building block for a rotation still finding its footing, and instead Chicago strung together enough traffic to make it a track meet.

Chicago White Sox
Chicago White Sox
(11)
  • 7-Day ILEverson Pereira RFPereira (concussion) is making progress in his recovery but is still experiencing concussion symptoms, MLB.com reports.
  • 10-Day-ILMunetaka Murakami 1BMurakami (hamstring) ran for the second consecutive day before the White Sox's game against the Guardians on Saturday, MLB.com reports.
  • 15-Day-ILTyler Gilbert RPThe White Sox placed Gilbert on the 15-day injured list Wednesday with a left shoulder impingement.
  • 60-Day-ILKy Bush SPBush (elbow) has resumed participating in long toss, MLB.com reports.
  • 60-Day-ILDrew Thorpe SPThorpe (elbow) threw a live bullpen Friday, MLB.com reports.
  • 60-Day-ILAustin Hays LFHays has been pulled off his rehab assignment at Triple-A Charlotte due to a recurrence of left calf soreness, Scott Merkin of MLB.com reports.
  • 60-Day-ILJordan Leasure RPLeasure (forearm) said Friday that he will be shut down from throwing for four weeks, James Fegan of SoxMachine.com reports.
  • 60-Day-ILPrelander Berroa RPBerroa is dealing with right elbow inflammation and will have his rehab stint paused, James Fegan of SoxMachine.com reports.
Cleveland Guardians
Cleveland Guardians
(2)
  • 10-Day-ILJose Ramirez 3BRamirez (hand) has been hitting off a tee and is expected to face overhand pitching soon, Tim Stebbins of MLB.com reports.
  • 10-Day-ILAngel Martinez LFMartinez (foot) took batting practice Saturday for the first time since landing on the injured list, MLB.com reports.
Injury report — info via ESPN.

Both injury reports point to lineups still not at full strength, and Sunday's back-and-forth final says as much about bullpen depth as anything else — Chicago's relief corps did just enough, Cleveland's didn't. That's the difference in a series where four games were separated by a combined handful of runs.

MLBChicago White SoxCleveland GuardiansPinnaclePolymarketKalshiChris MurphyTanner Bibee