Facing a potential ALDS clincher, the Chicago White Sox are turning back to their Game 1 lineup to face Guardians ace Parker Messick as they look to rebound from a record-setting strikeout performance.
The crowd at the ballpark tonight will be at capacity. carrying the heavy. singular expectation of watching the White Sox clinch a postseason series at home for the first time in the franchise’s 120-year history. It is a moment of potential celebration set against the backdrop of a staggering 9-3 loss in Game 3. where the offense set an MLB postseason record by striking out 19 times in nine innings. while the pitching staff surrendered 10 walks.
Manager Will Venable attributed the collapse to a lack of composure in the face of a high-pressure atmosphere. “It was one of our highest chase rates of the year. and so I think we were a little sped up yesterday. ” Venable said. “We’ve talked about it all year. Friday nights at the Rate and how special they’ve been and how charged up they’ve been. It was different yesterday. I’m not sure that there was anything that myself or Sho or anybody else could have said to prepare them for that. They had to experience it for themselves.”.
To secure the series tonight, the White Sox must contend with Guardians left-handed ace Parker Messick. In Game 1. the White Sox managed to chase Messick after 4 1/3 innings and 87 pitches. bolstered by a two-run home run from Munetaka Murakami. Despite the offensive struggles in Game 3, Venable is opting for familiarity. The lineup will mirror the one used in Game 1. which notably excludes Sam Antonacci. who reached base four times in the previous outing.
Outfielder Tristan Peters expressed confidence in the team’s ability to adjust. “We’ve seen [Messick] a lot,” Peters said. “We know kind of how he’s going to pitch us. Maybe he changes it up a little bit, but we know what he’s got. I’m very confident in our guys that I think we’ll hit him well.”
The White Sox lineup for Game 4 features Chase Meidroth at second base, Randal Grichuk in left, Miguel Vargas at third, Murakami at first, Tommy Pham at designated hitter, Brenton Doyle in center, Kyle Teel catching, Braden Montgomery in right, and Colson Montgomery at shortstop.
On the mound, rookie left-hander Hagen Smith will serve as the opener. His usage comes with caveats; he struggled in Game 3. throwing 21 pitches to record just two outs while walking a pair of batters. Given the lack of depth for back-to-back games, Venable expects a collective effort from the bullpen. Erick Fedde and Anthony Kay are expected to provide bulk innings in the middle frames. Fedde. who posted a .699 OPS against lefties this season. will be tested by a Cleveland lineup heavily populated with left-handed hitters. including Steven Kwan. Chase DeLauter. Nathaniel Lowe. Travis Bazzana. and switch-hitters Jose Ramirez. Angel Martinez. and Brayan Rocchio.
The math for the White Sox is binary: a win tonight sends the team to the ALCS on Monday, while a loss forces a decisive Game 5 in Cleveland on Saturday. The urgency to resolve the series is clear, as the pitching staff faces its first true test of consecutive-day strain in the ALDS.
White Sox Guardians ALDS Game 4 Will Venable Parker Messick MLB playoffs