Gavin Williams struck out 12 batters and José Ramírez hit a fourth-inning two-run homer as the Cleveland Guardians blanked the Chicago White Sox 2-0 on Saturday night in the decisive Game 5 of the American League Division Series, completing a stunning comeback from an 0-2 series deficit. Cleveland became only the fourth team in baseball history to win a best-of-five postseason series after dropping the first two games at home.

The win at a rain-soaked Progressive Field sends the Guardians to the American League Championship Series, where they will face the Tampa Bay Rays beginning Monday night in St. Petersburg. Cleveland is chasing its first World Series appearance since 2016 — and a first title since 1948, the longest championship drought in the majors.

Pitching dominance rewrites the record book

Saturday's shutout was a pitching masterpiece. Guardians hurlers combined to strike out 21 White Sox batters — the most ever in a nine-inning postseason game, according to Forbes Europe. Chicago managed just three hits and put only nine balls in play all night.

Williams, starting two days after recording the save in Game 4, dominated from the opening pitch. The right-hander allowed only one hit over 5 2/3 scoreless innings, walking two and fanning 12 — tying Charles Nagy's franchise record for strikeouts in a postseason game. He became just the third pitcher in postseason history to record the final out of one elimination game and start the next day's elimination game, noted the Associated Press.

Williams did not allow a hit until Kyle Teel looped a knuckle-curve into right field with two outs in the sixth. Erik Sabrowski, Hunter Gaddis and Cade Smith then combined for the final 10 outs to seal the three-hitter.

A record strikeout haul across the series

The Game 5 clinic was the climax of a historically dominant week on the mound. Across the five-game series, Guardians pitchers struck out 75 White Sox hitters — the most ever in a postseason series lasting five games, shattering the previous Division Series record of 64, reported ClutchPoints.

The parade had been building all series. Chicago struck out 19 times in Game 3, a 9-3 Cleveland win in which reliever Foster Griffin set a franchise postseason record for a reliever with seven strikeouts. The 21 strikeouts in Game 5 broke the record of 19 the White Sox themselves had set in that Game 3 loss.

"This was a difficult year, and for us to be one step away from the World Series, our ultimate goal, this is really exciting," Guardians manager Stephen Vogt said after the game.

Ramírez's low pitch heard around baseball

José Ramírez supplied all the offense Cleveland needed, golfing a 78-mile-per-hour knuckle-curve from Sean Burke 348 feet over the right-field wall in the fourth inning. Steven Kwan had led off the inning with the game's first hit, and Ramírez drove him in for the only runs of the night.

The pitch was 8.88 inches off the ground — the lowest for a postseason home run since at least 2008, and the lowest pitch Ramírez has ever homered on in his career. The two-run shot was his second straight game with a homer, giving him seven RBIs over the final three games of the series.

"Jose is Jose, we all love him. He always has that one moment all the time," Williams said of his teammate.

How the comeback unfolded

Chicago had stunned Cleveland to open the series, winning 3-0 in Game 1 and 4-3 in Game 2 at Progressive Field. Facing elimination, the Guardians roared back in Chicago: a 9-3 victory in Game 3, then a 9-5 win in Game 4 fueled by a six-run sixth inning, with Travis Bazzana delivering the go-ahead double and both Patrick Bailey and Ramírez homering.

The White Sox, meanwhile, were left to rue missed chances. "We're all bummed and sad, knowing we probably should have got the job done," shortstop Colson Montgomery said.

Why this matters

Comebacks from 0-2 in best-of-five series are vanishingly rare — Cleveland is only the fourth club ever to do it after losing the first two games at home. The Guardians' pitching staff has now authored one of the most statistically dominant series in postseason history, and the ALCS matchup with Tampa Bay opens Monday. For a franchise that has not lifted the Commissioner's Trophy in 78 years, the road to ending that drought is suddenly, shockingly open — a feat of the same improbable weight as the weekend's other record-breaking display, when Mohamed Salah set a Turkish Super Lig record with 10 goal contributions in seven matches.

Frequently Asked Questions

How did the Guardians complete the ALDS comeback?

After losing the first two games at home (3-0 and 4-3), Cleveland won Game 3 (9-3) and Game 4 (9-5) in Chicago, then shut out the White Sox 2-0 in Game 5 at Progressive Field. They are the fourth team ever to win a best-of-five series after losing the first two games at home.

Who starred in Game 5?

Gavin Williams struck out 12 over 5 2/3 scoreless innings — tying the franchise postseason record — two days after getting the save in Game 4. José Ramírez hit a two-run homer in the fourth inning off Sean Burke that proved to be all the offense needed.

What records were set?

Guardians pitchers struck out 21 White Sox batters in Game 5, the most in a nine-inning postseason game. Their 75 strikeouts across the series are the most in any five-game postseason series, breaking the previous Division Series record of 64.

Who do the Guardians play next?

Cleveland opens the American League Championship Series against the Tampa Bay Rays on Monday night in St. Petersburg, seeking a first World Series trip since 2016.

How long is Cleveland's championship drought?

The Guardians/Indians franchise has not won the World Series since 1948 — the longest active drought in Major League Baseball.