Jo Adell and José Ramírez star as
the Guardians beat the White Sox 9-3 to avoid elimination
[October 08, 2026]
By JAY COHEN
CHICAGO (AP) — Jo Adell and José Ramírez powered Cleveland with a
pair of two-out triples, and the Guardians avoided an AL Division
Series sweep by cooling off the Chicago White Sox with a 9-3 victory
in Game 3 on Wednesday.
Adell's three-run triple gave Cleveland a 4-1 lead in the third
inning. Ramírez's three-bagger drove in Travis Bazzana and Patrick
Bailey for a 7-3 advantage in the eighth.
“We continued to pile on,” Cleveland manager Stephen Vogt said. “I
think that’s been the difference of the first couple games to today
was Game 2, we were able to get a couple runs but weren’t able to
add on. But really good job by our guys today.”
The Guardians hit two triples in a postseason game for the first
time in franchise history. They became the first major league team
to accomplish the feat since the Los Angeles Dodgers in Game 1 of
the 2024 World Series against the New York Yankees.
Adell, Ramírez, Bailey and Brayan Rocchio each had two of the team's
11 hits — a complete turnaround for the AL Central champions after
they managed just three runs and seven hits in the first two games
of the series combined.
Game 4 is Thursday in Chicago, with the White Sox leading 2-1 in the
best-of-five matchup. Once again, they'll try to clinch a postseason
series at home for the first time since the 1906 World Series
against the Chicago Cubs.
“Today has nothing to do with tomorrow. Nothing," White Sox catcher
Kyle Teel said. "We come ready to go like we always do tomorrow.”
Chicago won its first four games in a surprising postseason
appearance after going 60-102 last year. It was backed by a frenzied
crowd of 40,590 for the franchise's first home playoff game since
2021, but there wasn't much for the fans to cheer in the final
innings.
The White Sox struck out 19 times and went 2 for 11 with runners in
position. Their bullpen faltered after coming up big during their
fast postseason start.
“I think there was some stuff we could have played better, but they
played good, too,” left-hander Hagen Smith said. “It’s a good team,
and we’ll come back tomorrow and fight.”
Chicago jumped in front on Teel's RBI double off Daniel Espino with
one out in the first. But then Espino fanned Chase Meidroth before
Foster Griffin struck out Tristan Peters looking, stranding runners
on second and third.
Griffin set a franchise record for a reliever with seven strikeouts
in 2 2/3 innings. The left-hander allowed one run and two hits in
his first appearance since Sept. 23.
“Once we got the momentum going on our side, it was tough to stop
it,” said Griffin, who came over in a trade with Washington in
August.
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Cleveland Guardians' José Ramírez, left, celebrates after scoring on
a fielder's choice by Chase DeLauter during the fifth inning in Game
3 of baseball's American League Division Series against the Chicago
White Sox Wednesday, Oct. 7, 2026, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)
Cleveland rallied in the third against Bryan
Hudson, who entered after Sean Newcomb pitched two scoreless
innings.
Bazzana walked and scored on Steven Kwan's one-out single to left.
Facing Smith with two down and the bases loaded, Adell grounded a
high fastball down the first-base line for a 4-1 lead.
Adell, acquired in an August trade with the Los Angeles Angels, also
hit an RBI triple during Cleveland's 4-3 loss in Game 2. He hit one
triple during the regular season in each of the last two years.
“It was huge,” Adell said. “Really just proud of how I kind of
cleaned that at-bat up.”
Playing in his 48th postseason game — all with Cleveland — Ramírez
manufactured an insurance run for the Guardians in the fifth. He
doubled, stole third and scored on Chase DeLauter's grounder to
second, beating Teel's tag with a headfirst slide.
Ramírez's savvy baserunning gave the Guardians a 5-2 lead. The
seven-time All-Star went 0 for 6 with two walks in the first two
games of the series.
The 34-year-old Ramírez also made a diving stop on Miguel Vargas'
bases-loaded smash in the sixth, preserving Cleveland's 5-3
advantage.
“I felt it was a significant shift in momentum in the game when we
were able to make that play,” Ramírez said through a translator. “I
felt like this is going to be our game.”
Up next
Parker Messick starts for Cleveland in Game 4. Messick permitted two
runs and four hits over 4 1/3 innings in the series opener. The
rookie left-hander went 12-9 with a 2.56 ERA in 32 starts during the
regular season.
Smith will open for Chicago. He also started Game 1, striking out
four in 2 2/3 hitless innings.
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