The Chicago White Sox moved one win away from their first American League Championship Series appearance since 2005 after edging the Cleveland Guardians 4-3 in Game 2 of the ALDS on Monday afternoon at Progressive Field in Cleveland, Ohio. The series, previewed before first pitch, now shifts to Chicago with the White Sox firmly in control.

Braden Montgomery delivered the go-ahead, two-run double in the sixth inning and Chase Meidroth followed with an RBI to send the Chicago White Sox to a 4-3 victory over the Cleveland Guardians in Game 2 of the American League Division Series on Monday afternoon. Chicago leads the best-of-five series 2-0 and can advance to its first AL Championship Series since 2005 with a win on Wednesday at home.

Montgomery's Big Swing Turns the Game

Cleveland jumped out front early. Cleveland went up 2-0 in the first on an error by pitcher Sean Newcomb, who threw wide of first base on a high chopper by Nathaniel Lowe. Chicago needed time to respond against Gavin Williams, who was dealing on the mound for the Guardians.

The rookie first baseman started chipping away in the fourth. At the plate, rookie slugger Munetaka Murakami delivered again, this time with an RBI single in the fourth off Williams to get the White Sox on the board and cut Cleveland's lead to 2-1.

The decisive blow came two innings later, when Cleveland's bullpen faltered. Erik Sabrowski took over for Gavin Williams with a runner on first and no outs with a 2-1 Guardians lead. Sabrowski proceeded to issue a walk, throw a wild pitch and surrender a 2-RBI double to Braden Montgomery.

Sean Burke Steadies a Bullpen Game

Just as he did in the Wild Card clincher, Burke is the White Sox's best conventional starting pitcher, but as in Game 2 of the wild-card series he came on in a bulk relief duty. This time, though, Burke took the mound with one out and one in in the bottom of the third inning with the White Sox trailing 2-0.

From there, he was nearly untouchable. Sean Burke (1-0) pitched 5 1/3 innings of one-run, one-hit relief for the win, retiring 13 straight batters from the fourth to the eighth. Opposite him, Guardians starter Gavin Williams struck out a career postseason-high 11 over five-plus innings, giving up two runs on four hits with little support from his bullpen.

Grant Taylor Survives a Late Scare

Cleveland did not go quietly. Grant Taylor earned his second save in the series by working 1 1/3 innings and wrapping up the combined four-hitter. Cleveland, which scored the first two runs of the contest, pulled within 4-3 in the eighth on Jo Adell's triple off Taylor. Chase DeLauter chased Burke with a two-out single, then scored on Adell's drive high off the wall in center. Taylor bore down to finish it off, extending Chicago's remarkable October.

The White Sox have won all four of their postseason games after claiming the league's final wild-card berth. That run began with a sweep of the Houston Astros in the Wild Card round and continued into Game 1 of this series, when five Chicago pitchers combined for a three-hitter and struck out 12, and Munetaka Murakami hit a two-run homer as the White Sox beat the Guardians 3-0.

What Comes Next for Chicago

Game 3 at Rate Field

The series heads back to the South Side with Chicago one win from the ALCS. Demand for the first White Sox home playoff game in years has been intense, with the average price for Game 3 expected to end up as the most expensive Sox ticket in five years on TickPick, as other ticket broker sites anticipate record prices.

Will Venable's Bullpen Blueprint

Manager Will Venable has leaned on an unconventional pitching plan all October. It will be the 33rd time this season the White Sox have used an opener, including the third in the postseason. So far, the formula has produced four straight postseason wins and put the White Sox on the brink of advancing in the MLB Playoffs.

A Lighter Moment With the Commissioner

Before the game, White Sox outfielder Tommy Pham shared a playful exchange with Commissioner Rob Manfred. Tommy Pham still can't believe the ball he hit Saturday in Game 1 of the American League Division Series didn't leave the yard.

Pham told Manfred, «Rob, what's going on with the balls?», to which the commissioner replied, «You're on your own with the hitting-out thing», before the two shared a laugh. The exchange capped a big day for a White Sox team chasing its first pennant since the 2005 championship run, a storyline followers of the MLB season have closely tracked all year.