Our Chicago White Sox vs Cleveland Guardians preview covers the odds, run line, total, probable pitchers, first pitch time, TV channel and where to watch for Game 1 of the American League Division Series (ALDS) on Saturday, October 3, 2026. The No. 6-seeded Chicago White Sox (84-78) and the No. 2-seeded Cleveland Guardians (85-77) open the best-of-five series at Progressive Field in Cleveland, Ohio. First pitch is 1:00 PM ET (noon CT). TV: TBS / truTV / HBO Max.
Division Series storyline: Chicago swept Houston at Daikin Park in the Wild Card Series, winning 6-3 on Tuesday and 7-3 on Wednesday. Cleveland won the AL Central by one game over the White Sox and had a first-round bye, so the division rivals meet in October after splitting the regular season almost evenly: Chicago won the season series 7-6. The probable pitchers are Hagen Smith for the White Sox and Parker Messick for the Guardians. DraftKings lists the Guardians at -156 on the moneyline and the White Sox at +129, with the total at 7.
Chicago White Sox vs Cleveland Guardians Odds, Run Line & Game Info
| Matchup | Chicago White Sox @ Cleveland Guardians |
|---|---|
| Series | American League Division Series (ALDS), Game 1 — best-of-five, 2-2-1 format |
| Series Score | Series begins (0-0). Game 2: Monday, Oct. 5, 5 PM ET at Progressive Field; Game 3: Wednesday, Oct. 7, 4 PM ET at Rate Field; Game 4 (if necessary): Thursday, Oct. 8, 5 PM ET at Rate Field; Game 5 (if necessary): Saturday, Oct. 10, 5 PM ET at Progressive Field |
| Seeds | Chicago White Sox No. 6 | Cleveland Guardians No. 2 (AL) |
| 2026 Records | Chicago White Sox 84-78 (36-45 on the road) | Cleveland Guardians 85-77 (41-40 at home) |
| How They Got Here | White Sox: Swept the No. 3 Houston Astros 2-0 in the AL Wild Card Series (6-3, 7-3) | Guardians: First-round bye as AL Central champion and No. 2 seed |
| Run Line | White Sox +1.5 (-175) | Guardians -1.5 (+144) |
| Moneyline | Chicago White Sox: +129 | Cleveland Guardians: -156 |
| Total | O/U 7 (Over +102 / Under -123) |
| Probable Pitchers | White Sox: Hagen Smith (LHP, 3-3, 1.29 ERA, 18 G/1 GS, 28.0 IP, 41 K, 16 BB, 0.96 WHIP) | Guardians: Parker Messick (LHP, 12-9, 2.56 ERA, 32 GS, 186.1 IP, 193 K, 49 BB, 1.06 WHIP) |
| Managers | Chicago White Sox: Will Venable | Cleveland Guardians: Stephen Vogt |
| Venue | Progressive Field (Cleveland, Ohio) |
| Date / Time | Saturday, October 3, 2026 — 1:00 PM ET (noon CT) |
| TV / How to Watch | TBS / truTV / HBO Max |
| 2026 Season Series | White Sox won the 2026 season series 7-6 |
Odds via DraftKings (through ESPN) as of Friday, Oct. 2, 2026, 7:33 PM PT. Opening line: White Sox +131 / Guardians -158, total 7. Lines move, so check your sportsbook before first pitch.
White Sox vs Guardians ALDS Series Context
Format: The ALDS is a best-of-five series in a 2-2-1 format. Games 1 and 2 are at Progressive Field, home of the higher-seeded Guardians, Games 3 and 4 move to Rate Field in Chicago, and a deciding Game 5 would return to Cleveland. Remaining schedule (times ET): Game 2: Monday, Oct. 5, 5 PM ET at Progressive Field; Game 3: Wednesday, Oct. 7, 4 PM ET at Rate Field; Game 4 (if necessary): Thursday, Oct. 8, 5 PM ET at Rate Field; Game 5 (if necessary): Saturday, Oct. 10, 5 PM ET at Progressive Field (MLB Stats API).
How the White Sox got here: Chicago opened the Wild Card Series with a 6-3 win in Houston. Hagen Smith threw three scoreless innings (2 H, 1 K, 38 pitches), Colson Montgomery homered, Sam Antonacci drove in two runs, and Jordan Hicks got the win in relief. In Game 2, the White Sox scored four runs in the first inning and three more in the sixth for a 7-3 win: Chase Meidroth went 2-for-3 with a homer and three RBIs, Hicks and Erick Fedde each threw two hitless innings, and Hunter Brown took the loss after getting two outs (MLB Stats API box scores).
How the Guardians got here: Cleveland finished 85-77 and won the AL Central by one game over Chicago, earning the No. 2 seed and a bye through the Wild Card round. The Guardians went 8-2 in their last 10 regular-season games (MLB Stats API standings).
Head-to-head: The White Sox went 7-6 against the Guardians in 2026. Cleveland won the last two meetings, 7-6 and 6-3 at Progressive Field on Sept. 15-16, after Chicago won 7-3 on Sept. 14 (MLB Stats API). ESPN noted the Guardians won 11 of 13 meetings in 2025.
Chicago White Sox Preview: ALDS Game 1
Season in review: Under manager Will Venable, the White Sox went 84-78, finished second in the AL Central (1 game back) and clinched a wild card as the AL’s No. 6 seed. They were 48-33 at home and 36-45 on the road, and went 7-3 in their last 10 regular-season games (MLB Stats API).
Key numbers: Chicago scored 776 runs and allowed 720. The White Sox hit .236 with a .726 OPS and 211 home runs, stole 93 bases and posted a 4.12 team ERA with 41 saves (MLB Stats API). Munetaka Murakami led the club with 35 homers, Miguel Vargas hit 33 with a team-high 93 RBIs and an .837 OPS, and Colson Montgomery added 31 homers and 87 RBIs. Sean Burke led the staff with 185 strikeouts and a 3.34 ERA (MLB Stats API team leaders).
Injuries: ESPN lists RHP Luis Castillo (shoulder, 15-day IL), C Joey Bart (hand, 10-day IL), RHP Prelander Berroa (elbow, 60-day IL) and OF Tanner Murray (shoulder, 60-day IL). Catcher Jake Rogers is listed on the paternity list.
Cleveland Guardians Preview: ALDS Game 1
Season in review: Manager Stephen Vogt‘s Guardians went 85-77 to win the AL Central, including 41-40 at home and 44-37 on the road. Cleveland scored 678 runs, allowed 667 and finished on an 8-2 run over its last 10 games (MLB Stats API).
Key numbers: Cleveland hit .239 with a .696 OPS and 162 home runs, stole 146 bases and posted a 3.77 team ERA with 1,530 strikeouts and 46 saves (MLB Stats API). Chase DeLauter led the club with an .820 OPS and a .287 average, José Ramírez stole 37 bases, and Brayan Rocchio drove in a team-high 73 runs. Closer Cade Smith had 41 saves, and Gavin Williams led the AL with 248 strikeouts (MLB Stats API, MLB.com). Williams starts Game 2 on Monday (MLB.com).
Injuries: ESPN lists 1B Rhys Hoskins (back, 10-day IL), RHP Colin Holderman (wrist, 15-day IL) and RHP Andrew Walters (elbow, out).
Starting Pitchers: Hagen Smith vs Parker Messick
White Sox: Hagen Smith (LHP). Venable named the 23-year-old rookie, the No. 5 overall selection in the 2024 MLB Draft out of Arkansas, as the Game 1 starter on Friday (MLB.com). Smith went 3-3 with a 1.29 ERA in 18 regular-season appearances (one start), with 41 strikeouts, 16 walks and a 0.96 WHIP in 28 innings after an August call-up. He opened Game 1 of the Wild Card Series with three scoreless innings in Houston. Smith faced the Guardians three times in relief this season and allowed two earned runs in 5 2/3 innings with eight strikeouts (MLB Stats API, MLB.com). Venable pointed to the off days built into a five-game series as a reason the White Sox can use their bullpen for bulk innings (MLB.com, Chicago Sun-Times).
Guardians: Parker Messick (LHP). The 25-year-old rookie went 12-9 with a 2.56 ERA in 32 starts, with 193 strikeouts, 49 walks and a 1.06 WHIP in 186 1/3 innings. In four starts against the White Sox he was 2-1 with a 2.81 ERA and 29 strikeouts in 25 2/3 innings (MLB Stats API, Chicago Sun-Times). ESPN noted he is the first rookie to start a postseason game for Cleveland since 2016. “They’ve been our two best pitchers. They’ve earned it and then some,” Vogt said of Messick and Williams (ESPN).
Key Matchup Notes: White Sox vs Guardians Game 1
- Rookie lefties: Game 1 matches two rookie left-handers. Smith has been used mostly in relief (one regular-season start), while Messick made 32 starts and threw 186 1/3 innings (MLB Stats API).
- Power vs. speed: Chicago out-homered Cleveland 211-162 during the season, while Cleveland stole 146 bases to Chicago’s 93 (MLB Stats API).
- Bullpens: Cleveland closer Cade Smith had 41 saves. In the Wild Card Series, Chicago’s relievers combined for 11 innings across two games, with Hicks throwing 3 1/3 hitless innings (MLB Stats API box scores).
- Rest: The White Sox have had two days off since finishing the sweep Wednesday. The Guardians last played Sept. 27, the final day of the regular season (MLB Stats API).
- Familiarity: The clubs played 13 times in 2026, and Chicago won the series 7-6 (MLB Stats API).
How to Watch Chicago White Sox vs Cleveland Guardians – ALDS Game 1
Date: Saturday, October 3, 2026
First pitch: 1:00 PM ET (noon CT)
Venue: Progressive Field, Cleveland, Ohio
TV / Streaming: TBS, truTV and HBO Max (MLB Stats API, ESPN, MLB.com). Spanish-language coverage is listed on Univision/TUDN by the MLB Stats API; MLB.com lists UniMas.
The series winner advances to the ALCS against the winner of the Yankees-Rays ALDS. Game 2 is Monday, Oct. 5 at Progressive Field. Check the run line, moneyline and total above against your sportsbook before the October 3, 2026 first pitch, and look for official lineups closer to game time.