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3 Guardians most to blame for ALDS Game 2 loss to White Sox
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- 3 Guardians most to blame for ALDS Game 2 loss to White Sox
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The Cleveland Guardians received enough from Gavin Williams to win Monday. They failed to turn that opportunity into a victory.
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Despite Williams' 11 strikeouts, the Guardians lost 4-3 to the Chicago White Sox in Game 2 of the American League Division Series. They now trail the best-of-five matchup 2-0, with their season on the line Wednesday.
Cleveland managed to collect just four hits, while a three-run sixth inning erased its advantage. Responsibility extends beyond three players, but Erik Sabrowski, Hunter Gaddis, and Nathaniel Lowe stand out for their roles in the missed opportunity.
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Erik Sabrowski let the sixth inning unravel
Sabrowski inherited a 2-1 lead and Miguel Vargas on first after Williams surrendered a leadoff single in the sixth.
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The left-hander initially moved toward an escape, getting Munetaka Murakami to ground out. Instead, a four-pitch walk to Randal Grichuk and a wild pitch put two runners in scoring position.
He still had a chance to protect the lead after Tommy Pham flied out. Braden Montgomery then delivered a two-out, two-run double that pushed the White Sox ahead 3-2.
The walk deserves particular scrutiny. Vargas represented the White Sox tying run, but Sabrowski supplied the eventual go-ahead runner himself. His control problems increased the damage one hit could cause.
The Guardians needed their reliever to contain an inherited threat. Instead, the southpaw expanded it and surrendered the lead. That combination gives him the strongest case for blame.
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Hunter Gaddis failed to limit the damage
Gaddis entered with two outs and Montgomery on second. One more out would have kept the Guardians within a run.
Instead, Chase Meidroth singled to right, scoring Montgomery and giving the White Sox a 4-2 cushion.
Gaddis finished with no runs charged to him because Montgomery belonged to Sabrowski. This scoring distinction matters, but it does not erase Gaddis' responsibility for allowing the inherited runner home.
His subsequent pickoff throwing error did not produce another run, so it should not overshadow the consequential mistake. The RBI single created separation that Chicago ultimately needed.
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Relievers cannot always inherit a clean inning. Gaddis' assignment was to stop the rally where it stood. He eventually ended the inning, but only after the deficit doubled.
Nathaniel Lowe missed a late chance to tie it
Lowe deserves credit for his first-inning contribution. His grounder produced Sean Newcomb's throwing error, bringing home two runs. Lowe received one RBI on the play.
However, he finished 0-for-4 and could not deliver when the Guardians created their best late opening.
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With two outs in the eighth, Chase DeLauter singled before Jo Adell's RBI triple cut the deficit to 4-3. Lowe followed with a fly out, leaving the potential tying run at third.
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One unsuccessful at-bat does not explain an entire loss, and Cleveland's offensive problems extended throughout the lineup. Still, Lowe occupied a run-producing spot and had a direct opportunity to change the game.
The Guardians needed one more hit in that moment. Lowe's inability to provide it earns him a place behind the two relievers whose sixth-inning struggles put them in that position.
Related: 6-time MLB All-Star Sam McDowell dies at 84
Related: Gavin Williams' stern Game 3 declaration amid 0-2 ALDS deficit for Guardians
