With a chance to secure a home postseason series victory for the first time in 120 years, the White Sox have tabbed Sean Newcomb to open Game 3 against the Guardians.
For the first time in 120 years, the Chicago White Sox have a chance to clinch a postseason series on their own turf. When they take the field Wednesday against the Cleveland Guardians, the weight of that century-long wait will rest on a familiar, if unconventional, strategy: the opener.
Manager Will Venable has tapped left-handed reliever Sean Newcomb to start the game. marking the 35th time this season the team has utilized an opener. For Newcomb, the assignment is business as usual. He described the plan with the nonchalance of a morning ritual: getting in for two innings before passing the baton to the bullpen.
Behind Newcomb, the bullpen dynamics are shifting. After leaning heavily on a select group of high-leverage arms and Sean Burke through the first four postseason games. the White Sox are preparing to expand their usage. Venable noted that the lack of remaining off days and the physical toll on his core relievers mean he will be “reading and reacting.” This reality leaves the door open for postseason debuts from Davis Martin and Noah Schultz. as the manager balances immediate pressure against the prospect of a game the following day.
Across the diamond. the Guardians are deploying their own opener in right-hander Daniel Espino. with the White Sox anticipating left-hander Foster Griffin to shoulder the bulk of the remaining work. This has forced Venable to construct a hybrid lineup—a blend of starters designed to handle right-handed pitching followed by specialized weapons for the expected left-handed rotation.
“The one thing that we know is that we get Espino up front. so we have the same top four guys. ” Venable said. “Second part of our lineup is a little bit of a response to the unknown that’s going to follow Espino.” He added that players like Andrew Benintendi. Tommy Pham. and Brenton Doyle remain available on the bench to adjust as the game evolves.
At the center of this transition is All-Star third baseman Miguel Vargas. After a surge in the final weeks of the regular season. Vargas has struggled to find his rhythm. hitting .154 without an extra-base hit this postseason. While Venable admitted the infielder’s swing is currently “out of sorts. ” Vargas has leaned on plate discipline to provide value. posting a .389 on-base percentage behind five walks.
“At this point it’s not about me anymore,” Vargas said. “If it’s a walk and get on base for my team, I’m going to do it any time. If it’s a stolen bag or driving an RBI, whatever it takes to win a baseball game, I want to be out there and able to do it.”
For the Guardians, the lineup leans heavily left-handed: Steven Kwan in center, Jose Ramirez at third, Chase DeLauter in right, Jo Adell at DH, Nathaniel Lowe at first, Angel Martinez in left, Travis Bazzana at second, Patrick Bailey behind the plate, and Brayan Rocchio at shortstop.
With the White Sox countering with Sam Antonacci. Miguel Vargas. Munetaka Murakami. Kyle Teel. Chase Meidroth. Tristan Peters. Braden Montgomery. Randal Grichuk. and Colson Montgomery. both teams are gambling on a chess match of rotating arms and matchups. The team that manages its fatigue and responds most effectively to the early-inning maneuvers will likely be the one to claim the series.
White Sox Guardians ALDS Sean Newcomb Will Venable MLB playoffs Miguel Vargas