Our Cleveland Guardians vs Chicago White Sox preview covers the odds, run line, moneyline, total, probable pitchers, first pitch time, TV channel and where to watch for Game 4 of the American League Division Series (ALDS) on Thursday, October 8, 2026. The No. 2-seeded Cleveland Guardians (85-77) and the No. 6-seeded Chicago White Sox (84-78) meet at Rate Field in Chicago, Ill., where the White Sox lead the best-of-five series 2-1 and the Guardians face elimination. First pitch is 8:00 PM ET (7:00 PM CT). TV: TBS / truTV / HBO Max.
Division Series storyline: Chicago won Game 1 3-0 behind Munetaka Murakami’s two-run homer and a three-hitter from five pitchers, then came back from a 2-0 first-inning deficit to win Game 2 4-3 on Braden Montgomery’s two-out, two-run double. Cleveland answered with a 9-3 win in Game 3 on Wednesday as Jo Adell and José Ramírez hit two-out triples and Guardians pitchers struck out 19 White Sox batters (MLB Stats API, AP). The White Sox, 4-1 this postseason, are one win from their first ALCS since 2005 and from clinching a postseason series at home for the first time since the 1906 World Series (MLB.com, Yahoo Sports). The White Sox’ probable pitcher is TBD (not yet announced; the MLB Stats API lists no probable), and Parker Messick is the probable for the Guardians. DraftKings lists the White Sox at -103 on the moneyline and the Guardians at -117, with the total at 7.5. First pitch moved to the 8 p.m. ET slot after the Rays eliminated the Yankees on Wednesday night (MLB Stats API, MLB.com).
Cleveland Guardians vs Chicago White Sox Odds, Run Line & Game Info
| Matchup | Cleveland Guardians @ Chicago White Sox |
|---|---|
| Series | American League Division Series (ALDS), Game 4 — best-of-five, 2-2-1 format |
| Series Score | White Sox lead 2-1. Game 1: White Sox won 3-0 (Saturday, Oct. 3). Game 2: White Sox won 4-3 (Monday, Oct. 5). Game 3: Guardians won 9-3 (Wednesday, Oct. 7). Remaining: Game 5 (if necessary): Saturday, Oct. 10, 8 PM ET at Progressive Field |
| Seeds | Cleveland Guardians No. 2 | Chicago White Sox No. 6 (AL) |
| 2026 Records | Cleveland Guardians 85-77 (44-37 on the road) | Chicago White Sox 84-78 (48-33 at home) |
| How They Got Here | Guardians: First-round bye as AL Central champion and No. 2 seed | White Sox: Swept the No. 3 Houston Astros 2-0 in the AL Wild Card Series (6-3, 7-3) |
| Run Line | Guardians -1.5 (+152) | White Sox +1.5 (-185) |
| Moneyline | Cleveland Guardians: -117 | Chicago White Sox: -103 |
| Total | O/U 7.5 (Over +101 / Under -122) |
| Probable Pitchers | Guardians: Parker Messick (LHP, 12-9, 2.56 ERA, 32 GS, 186.1 IP, 193 K, 49 BB, 1.06 WHIP; 4.1 IP, 2 ER, 6 K in ALDS Game 1) | White Sox: TBD (not announced) |
| Managers | Cleveland Guardians: Stephen Vogt | Chicago White Sox: Will Venable |
| Venue | Rate Field (Chicago, Ill.) |
| Date / Time | Thursday, October 8, 2026 — 8:00 PM ET (7:00 PM CT) |
| TV / How to Watch | TBS / truTV / HBO Max (Spanish: UniMas per MLB.com; Univision/TUDN per the MLB Stats API) |
| 2026 Season Series | White Sox won the 2026 season series 7-6 |
Odds via DraftKings (through ESPN) as of Wednesday, Oct. 7, 2026, 11:17 PM ET. Opening line: Guardians -113 / White Sox -107, total 7.5. Lines move, so check your sportsbook before first pitch.
Guardians vs White Sox ALDS Series Context
Format: The ALDS is a best-of-five series in a 2-2-1 format. Games 1 and 2 were at Progressive Field, home of the higher-seeded Guardians, Games 3 and 4 are at Rate Field in Chicago, and a deciding Game 5 would return to Cleveland (MLB Stats API).
Game 1 recap: Munetaka Murakami hit a 440-foot, two-run homer off Parker Messick (L) in the fourth inning, and five White Sox pitchers combined on a three-hitter with 12 strikeouts in a 3-0 win at Progressive Field on Saturday. Opener Hagen Smith threw 2 2/3 hitless innings, Bryan Hudson (W) stranded the bases loaded in the third, and Grant Taylor finished with four scoreless innings (2 H, 6 K, 42 pitches) for the save. Cleveland went 0-for-3 with runners in scoring position (MLB Stats API box score, MLB.com).
Game 2 recap: Chicago came back for a 4-3 win at Progressive Field on Monday after Sean Newcomb’s throwing error on Nathaniel Lowe’s comebacker let two Cleveland runs score in the first. Murakami’s RBI single off Gavin Williams made it 2-1 in the fourth, and in the sixth Braden Montgomery’s two-out, two-run double off Erik Sabrowski (L) put the White Sox ahead before Chase Meidroth singled home another run off Hunter Gaddis. Sean Burke (W) allowed one run on one hit over 5 1/3 innings with six strikeouts (83 pitches). Jo Adell’s RBI triple in the eighth cut it to 4-3, and Taylor closed it for his second save of the series (MLB Stats API box score, MLB.com).
Game 3 recap: Cleveland avoided elimination with a 9-3 win at Rate Field on Wednesday in the White Sox’s first home playoff game since 2021 (AP). Kyle Teel’s RBI double off opener Daniel Espino put Chicago ahead in the first, but Foster Griffin (W) entered with two outs and runners on second and third, struck out Tristan Peters and finished with seven strikeouts in 2 2/3 innings, a Cleveland record for a reliever. In the third, Steven Kwan’s RBI single off Bryan Hudson (L) tied it, and Jo Adell’s two-out, bases-loaded triple off Hagen Smith made it 4-1. José Ramírez doubled, stole third and scored on Chase DeLauter’s grounder in the fifth, then hit a two-run triple off David Sandlin in the eighth, and Angel Genao and Brayan Rocchio drove in runs in the ninth. Cade Smith struck out five over the final two innings. Chicago struck out 19 times and went 2-for-11 with runners in scoring position (MLB Stats API box score, AP).
How they got here: Chicago swept the Wild Card Series in Houston, 6-3 and 7-3, with Meidroth homering and driving in three in the clincher, while Cleveland won the AL Central by one game over Chicago and went 8-2 in its last 10 regular-season games (MLB Stats API).
Head-to-head: The White Sox went 7-6 against the Guardians in 2026, although Cleveland won the AL Central and the home-field spot in this series (MLB Stats API).
Cleveland Guardians Preview: ALDS Game 4
Season in review: Manager Stephen Vogt‘s Guardians went 85-77 to win the AL Central for the third straight season, including 41-40 at home and 44-37 on the road (MLB Stats API, MLB.com). Cleveland scored 678 runs and allowed 667, hit .239 with a .696 OPS and 162 home runs, stole 146 bases and posted a 3.77 team ERA with 46 saves (MLB Stats API). Chase DeLauter led the club with an .820 OPS, Ramírez stole 37 bases, and closer Cade Smith had 41 saves (MLB Stats API team leaders).
Lineup notes: Through three games of the series, the Guardians are hitting .188 (18-for-96) with 12 runs, no home runs, 18 walks and 27 strikeouts, and they are 5-for-25 with runners in scoring position; Patrick Bailey (3-for-9), Jo Adell (3-for-11, 4 RBI), and Chase DeLauter (3-for-12, 1 RBI) share the team lead with three hits (MLB Stats API box scores). Adell, acquired from the Angels in August, has two triples in the series, and Ramírez, 0-for-6 with two walks in the first two games, doubled, tripled, stole a base and drove in two runs Wednesday in his 48th career postseason game (AP). Angel Martínez is 0-for-12 with seven strikeouts in the series (MLB Stats API).
Pitching and injuries: Tanner Bibee and Matt Festa have not pitched in the series, Sabrowski last pitched Monday, and Game 2 starter Gavin Williams is lined up for a potential Game 5 at Progressive Field (MLB Stats API, MLB.com). ESPN lists 1B Rhys Hoskins (back, 10-day IL), RHP Colin Holderman (wrist surgery, 15-day IL) and RHP Andrew Walters (elbow surgery, out).
Chicago White Sox Preview: ALDS Game 4
Season in review: Under manager Will Venable, the White Sox went 84-78, finished one game behind Cleveland in the AL Central and earned the AL’s No. 6 seed after three straight 100-loss seasons (MLB.com). They were 48-33 at home and 36-45 on the road. Chicago scored 776 runs and allowed 720, 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). Murakami led the club with 35 homers, Miguel Vargas hit 33 with a team-high 93 RBIs, and Colson Montgomery added 31 homers (MLB Stats API team leaders).
Lineup notes: Through three games of the series, the White Sox are hitting .191 (18-for-94) with 10 runs, one home run, 11 walks and 42 strikeouts, and they are 5-for-23 with runners in scoring position; Miguel Vargas (3-for-8), Munetaka Murakami (3-for-12, 1 HR, 3 RBI), and Chase Meidroth (3-for-12, 1 RBI) share the team lead with three hits (MLB Stats API box scores). In Game 3, Murakami went 0-for-4 with three strikeouts, and Colson Montgomery and Peters struck out three times apiece (MLB Stats API, Yahoo Sports). Vargas has reached base eight times in the series (3-for-8 with five walks). “I think we’ve got short memory,” Vargas said after Game 3 (Yahoo Sports).
Pitching and injuries: Chicago has used an opener in all three ALDS games: Hagen Smith in Game 1, Anthony Kay in Game 2 and Newcomb in Game 3 (MLB Stats API). “Having off days in between these first three games, that allowed us to do some things, and that is not going to be the case anymore,” Venable said before Game 3 (Chicago Sun-Times). ESPN lists RHP Luis Castillo (shoulder, 15-day IL), C Joey Bart (hand, 10-day IL), RHP Prelander Berroa (elbow, 60-day IL), LHP Ky Bush (elbow, 60-day IL) and OF Tanner Murray (shoulder, 60-day IL).
Starting Pitchers: Parker Messick vs TBD
Guardians: Parker Messick (LHP). The 25-year-old left-hander, an AL All-Star this season, went 12-9 with a 2.56 ERA in 32 starts, with 193 strikeouts, 49 walks, a 1.06 WHIP and a .217 opponents’ average in 186 1/3 innings (MLB Stats API). He had a 2.22 ERA in 16 road starts. Against Chicago in the regular season he went 2-1 with a 2.81 ERA and 29 strikeouts in 25 2/3 innings over four starts, including two at Rate Field: 7 2/3 innings with 10 strikeouts in a June 23 loss and seven innings with eight strikeouts in an Aug. 7 win (MLB Stats API). In Game 1 on Saturday, his postseason debut, he allowed two runs on four hits and two walks over 4 1/3 innings with six strikeouts (87 pitches) and took the loss on Murakami’s two-run homer (MLB Stats API). He starts on four days’ rest; the Guardians confirmed him after Wednesday’s win (MLB.com’s Tim Stebbins via ClutchPoints).
White Sox: TBD. Chicago had not announced a Game 4 starter when this preview was built, and the MLB Stats API and ESPN list no probable. Behind its openers, Burke covered 5 1/3 innings in Game 2 and Schultz three in Game 3 (MLB Stats API). Grant Taylor (no earned runs in 5 1/3 innings, two saves), Jordan Hicks, Kay, Burke and Erick Fedde, who has not pitched in the series, did not work Wednesday (MLB Stats API, Yahoo Sports).
Key Matchup Notes: Guardians vs White Sox Game 4
- Strikeouts: Cleveland pitchers have 42 strikeouts in the series, including 19 in Game 3, and Chicago pitchers have 27 (MLB Stats API box scores). All five of Cleveland’s hits with runners in scoring position came in Game 3.
- Bullpens: Game 4 is the first time in this series the teams meet on consecutive days. In Game 3, Cleveland used Espino (20 pitches), Griffin (53), Shawn Armstrong (5), Joey Cantillo (25), Gaddis (12), Tim Herrin (18) and Cade Smith (19), and Chicago used Newcomb (22), Hudson (16), Smith (21), Noah Schultz (45), Tyler Davis (21), Sandlin (22) and Davis Martin (31) (MLB Stats API).
- Messick vs. Murakami: Murakami’s 440-foot, two-run homer off Messick in the fourth inning put Chicago ahead in Game 1, and he is 3-for-12 in the series with six strikeouts (MLB Stats API, MLB.com). DraftKings lists the Game 4 total at 7.5.
- Extra-base hits: The Guardians had two triples in a postseason game for the first time in franchise history on Wednesday, and Murakami’s Game 1 shot is the only home run either team has hit in the series (AP, MLB Stats API box scores).
How to Watch Cleveland Guardians vs Chicago White Sox – ALDS Game 4
Date: Thursday, October 8, 2026
First pitch: 8:00 PM ET (7:00 PM CT)
Venue: Rate Field, Chicago, Ill.
TV / Streaming: TBS, truTV and HBO Max (MLB Stats API, MLB.com). MLB.com lists Spanish-language TV on UniMas, while the MLB Stats API lists Univision/TUDN for Spanish-language TV.
The series winner advances to the ALCS, which opens Monday, Oct. 12 (MLB Stats API), against the Tampa Bay Rays, who eliminated the Yankees in Game 3. If Cleveland wins Thursday, a deciding Game 5 would be Saturday, Oct. 10 at Progressive Field; a White Sox win sends Chicago to the ALCS (MLB Stats API). Check the run line, moneyline and total above against your sportsbook before the October 8, 2026 first pitch, and look for official lineups closer to game time.