White Sox blank Guardians 3-0, take ALDS opener behind Murakami and bullpen

The Chicago White Sox beat the Cleveland Guardians 3-0 on Saturday, October 3, in Game 1 of their American League Division Series. MLB's final game record has Chicago ahead 1-0 in the series. It is another step for a club that entered October after three consecutive 100-loss seasons, but the result settles only the opener, not the best-of-five matchup.

Munetaka Murakami supplied the decisive blow in the fourth inning, hitting a two-run homer to right with Miguel Vargas aboard. Murakami finished 2-for-4 with two RBIs. Cleveland starter Parker Messick allowed two runs in 4 1/3 innings and struck out six. The two-run swing gave Chicago an advantage its pitching never surrendered.

The swings that separated the clubs

Colson Montgomery doubled in Kyle Teel in the seventh for the third run. Montgomery went 2-for-3. His insurance hit mattered because a 2-0 game would still have put one Cleveland swing within reach of a tie. Chicago totaled six hits, while the Guardians managed three and left seven runners on base, according to MLB's box score.

White Sox starter Hagen Smith worked 2 2/3 scoreless innings, but walked three and did not finish the third. Bryan Hudson entered with three runners aboard and kept all three from scoring, earning the win after recording the final out of that inning. Jordan Hicks and Anthony Kay bridged the middle innings before Grant Taylor threw four scoreless frames to finish it. Taylor struck out six, walked none and received the save.

A bullpen game after the third

The pitching line makes this more than a story about one home run. Chicago needed 19 outs from relievers after Smith's early exit, and the group protected the lead without allowing Cleveland a run. The White Sox have now won the opener on the road. Cleveland still has time to answer, so the series position is an advantage, not a conclusion.