Game result and context
Chicago White Sox shut out Cleveland Guardians 3-0 in AL Division Series Game 1
Munetaka Murakami's two-run homer in the fourth inning was all the Chicago White Sox needed in a 3-0 shutout of the Cleveland Guardians in Game 1 of the AL Division Series at Progressive Field.
Final result
The Chicago White Sox beat the Cleveland Guardians 3-0 at Progressive Field in Game 1 of the AL Division Series. Chicago leads the best-of-five series and stands at 1-0; Cleveland is 0-1.
How the game changed
Neither side scored through three innings. Then Munetaka Murakami homered in the top of the fourth, driving in two, and the game turned on that swing.
Chicago added a run in the seventh. Cleveland never scored, held to zeros in all nine innings by the White Sox staff.
Key performances
Murakami went 2 for 4 with 2 RBI and the game's only homer. Colson Montgomery went 2 for 3 and drove in a run.
Grant Taylor recorded the save over 4.0 scoreless innings with 6 strikeouts. Hagen Smith added 2.2 scoreless innings and struck out 4.
Parker Messick took the loss for Cleveland, allowing 2 earned runs in 4.1 innings while striking out 6. Erik Sabrowski pitched 1.2 innings with 2 strikeouts and 1 earned run.
Season and playoff context
The road team took the opener of this AL Division Series. Cleveland, now chasing, will need its bats to wake up in Game 2.