Postseason Duel at Progressive Field: White Sox vs. Guardians, 1 PM EDT
The postseason lights blaze over Cleveland at 1:00 PM EDT, and both clubs have dug up left‑handers for the showdown. Chicago sends Hagen Smith (LHP #32) to the rubber, while Cleveland counters with rookie Parker Messick (LHP #77) – the only thing more left‑handed than the pitchers is the Guardians’ odds sheet. The Sox’s staff is nursing a 4.12 ERA, a hair above Cleveland’s tidy 3.77, and their .236 batting average barely nudges the Guardians’ .239, proving that in October the margins are as thin as a spring‑training haircut. Meanwhile, Chicago’s catching corps is missing Joey Bart (10‑day IL) and the long‑term loss of Tanner Murray (60‑day IL) adds a side of “who‑needs‑a‑catcher‑anyway?” to the mix.