The Cleveland Guardians and Chicago White Sox open their American League Division Series on Saturday at Progressive Field following a fiercely contested divisional race that was decided by a single game. Game 1 is scheduled for 1 p.m. ET, with television coverage provided by TBS, truTV, and HBO Max.
How the Rivals Reached the Division Series
Thirteen games across four series did not settle the rivalry between the two American League Central opponents. The White Sox advanced to the best-of-five Division Series after defeating the Houston Astros 7-3 in Game 2 of the AL Wild Card Series on Wednesday, setting up a postseason matchup against Cleveland.
The regular season offered a preview of how close the two franchises are on the field. Chicago occupied or shared first place in the division for 96 days, while Cleveland held the top spot for 89 days. The Guardians captured the division crown by finishing with an 85-77 record, edging the 84-78 White Sox by a single game. Out of their head-to-head meetings, Chicago won the season series 7-6 and outscored Cleveland 58-57 in total runs, with 11 games decided by three runs or fewer.
Opening Pitchers Set for Game 1
Manager Stephen Vogt announced that Joey Messick will open the series for Cleveland, followed by Gavin Williams in Game 2. Messick posted a 2.81 ERA with 29 strikeouts and five walks over 25.2 innings across four regular-season appearances against Chicago. Williams led the American League with 248 strikeouts over 32 starts and 184.1 innings.
For Chicago, the squad opted for an opener strategy. The White Sox utilized an opener 31 times during the regular season, the most in Major League Baseball. Following a successful bullpen game in which Smith threw three scoreless innings during the Wild Card opener against Houston, Chicago will deploy Smith to start Game 1 at Progressive Field.
Cleveland and White Sox Set Opening Lineups
With a left-hander on the mound for Chicago, Cleveland countered by starting right-handed hitter David Fry at first base. The White Sox leaned heavily on right-handed bats against left-handed pitching during the regular season, which places Sam Antonacci on the bench for the opening matchup, while Randal Grichuk starts in left field.
In the bullpen, Cleveland relies on All-Star closer Cade Smith, who finished the regular season tied for the major league lead with 41 saves and a 1.95 ERA across 69 appearances. If the Guardians’ starter can pitch into the sixth inning with a lead, managers can bridge the middle frames to Smith using left-handers Erik Sabrowski and Tim Herrin alongside right-hander Hunter Gaddis. Chicago's relief corps features high-impact arms like Grant Taylor, who threw a career-high 54 pitches on Tuesday against Houston, alongside Hagen Smith and Noah Schultz.
Game 1 Airs on TBS and HBO Max
Game 1 gets underway at 1 p.m. ET on Saturday at Progressive Field in Cleveland. Viewers can watch the broadcast nationally on TBS, truTV, and HBO Max. Spanish-language television coverage is scheduled on UniMás, with audio broadcasts available via TUDN Radio and ESPN Radio covering the entire MLB postseason.
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