White Sox Face Win-or-Go-Home Test Against Guardians in Game 5

Chicago’s margin is gone. After taking the first two games of the ALDS, the White Sox have dropped two straight to Cleveland and now need a win to reach the ALCS, where the Tampa Bay Rays await in St. Petersburg on Monday. Their choices before Game 5 point to the central challenge: get enough from Sean Burke, manage a bullpen under pressure, and find a lineup that can answer Cleveland’s recent surge.

Trusting Taylor after a difficult night

Manager Will Venable is sticking with Grant Taylor as a prominent bullpen option despite his latest outing. Taylor faced six hitters Thursday and retired none of them, but Venable said his confidence in the reliever remains as high as ever. He described Taylor as the team’s go-to arm in difficult spots throughout the year, adding that the club wants him available when a game turns tight.

That backing carries a practical question: how soon should Taylor enter if Burke needs help? Cleveland has been having strong at-bats against him, and Venable acknowledged that Taylor will need to adjust from hitter to hitter. The manager’s message was that one bad appearance won’t erase the role Taylor has held all season.

Sean Newcomb is also expected to be a key part of the relief plan. One possible order would be Newcomb and Jordan Hicks before Taylor, given how vulnerable Taylor looked Thursday. But the larger point is that Chicago may need more than two relievers to cover the game. If Burke exits early or Cleveland forces a series of high-leverage matchups, Venable could have to draw on several arms and make quick decisions about which hitters each one can handle.

That puts extra weight on Burke’s opening innings. A starter who can work through the lineup and keep the score manageable would give Venable more control over when to use Newcomb, Hicks and Taylor. If Cleveland gets to Burke early, the bullpen plan could become a test of depth as much as trust.

Chicago changes its outfield

The White Sox have made a change in right field, with Tristan Peters starting there, Brenton Doyle in center and Sam Antonacci in left. Braden Montgomery had gone 1-for-15 with nine strikeouts, prompting calls to try another option. Venable framed the decision around rewarding Doyle’s play, while also pointing out that substitutions make the idea of a player simply being benched less straightforward.

The new alignment gives Chicago a different look across the outfield as it tries to extend its season. Peters takes the right-field assignment, Doyle shifts to center and Antonacci opens in left. The change is a direct response to the recent lineup picture, but it also gives Venable room to use substitutions as the game develops.

Andrew Benintendi, batting fifth as the designated hitter, is another point of focus. His swings against Gavin Williams in this series have raised concern, and the middle of the order needs to produce if Chicago is to make the most of its final chance. Benintendi is positioned between Munetaka Murakami and the lower part of the lineup, so his at-bats could shape whether Cleveland can challenge the White Sox’s primary power threat or has to pitch more cautiously.

Miguel Vargas bats third, followed by Murakami in the cleanup spot. A pregame discussion had considered placing another hitter between Vargas and Murakami, but the final lineup keeps them together. That creates a clear stretch for Cleveland to navigate: Vargas must reach base or make Williams work, while Murakami supplies the next opportunity to change the score with one swing.

Cleveland makes its own adjustment

Stephen Vogt has changed his outfield, starting Petey Halpin in center and sitting Angel Martínez. Martínez is 0-for-15 in the series. His absence follows a difficult moment in Game 4, when Anthony Kay hit a batter to begin the six-run sixth inning for Cleveland. The new choice gives Vogt a fresh option as the Guardians try to finish the series at home.

The managers have crossed paths often enough this season to share a dry sense of recognition. This is the 18th and final meeting between the clubs, and Vogt recalled seeing Venable after Game 4. They exchanged the look of two managers who had expected a shorter series, then acknowledged the respect they have for one another. That familiarity adds a personal note to a matchup whose stakes are now uncomplicated: one team advances, and the other goes home.

Game 5 lineups and broadcast

First pitch: White Sox at Guardians
TV: TBS and HBO Max

Chicago’s route is clear: make Williams work, take advantage of the reshaped outfield, and keep Burke in the game long enough to preserve options for the bullpen. Venable’s faith in Taylor will matter if the matchup calls for him, but the first task is to make sure the game doesn’t force that decision too soon.