Our Chicago White Sox vs Cleveland Guardians preview covers the odds, run line, moneyline, total, probable pitchers, first pitch time, TV channel and where to watch for Game 5 of the American League Division Series (ALDS) on Saturday, October 10, 2026. The No. 6-seeded Chicago White Sox (84-78) and the No. 2-seeded Cleveland Guardians (85-77) meet at Progressive Field in Cleveland, Ohio, where the best-of-five series is tied 2-2. First pitch is 8:00 PM ET (5:00 PM PT). TV: TBS / truTV / HBO Max.
Division Series storyline: Chicago won the first two games at Progressive Field, 3-0 behind Munetaka Murakami’s two-run homer and 4-3 on Braden Montgomery’s two-out, two-run double. Cleveland answered with two wins at Rate Field: 9-3 in Game 3 as its pitchers struck out 19 White Sox batters, and 9-5 in Game 4 on Thursday night after a six-run sixth inning (MLB Stats API). The White Sox are 4-2 this postseason and are trying to reach their first ALCS since 2005, while Cleveland, the AL Central champion, has the deciding game at home (MLB Stats API, MLB.com). The probable pitchers are Sean Burke for the White Sox and Gavin Williams for the Guardians. DraftKings lists the Guardians at -137 on the moneyline and the White Sox at +114, 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 5 — best-of-five, 2-2-1 format |
| Series Score | Series tied 2-2. 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). Game 4: Guardians won 9-5 (Thursday, Oct. 8). Game 5 is the final game of the series. |
| 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 (-193) | Guardians -1.5 (+158) |
| Moneyline | Chicago White Sox: +114 | Cleveland Guardians: -137 |
| Total | O/U 7 (Over -120 / Under +100) |
| Probable Pitchers | White Sox: Sean Burke (RHP, 11-7, 3.34 ERA, 32 G/27 GS, 172.1 IP, 185 K, 62 BB, 1.20 WHIP; 5.1 IP, 1 H, 1 R, 6 K in ALDS Game 2) | Guardians: Gavin Williams (RHP, 14-8, 3.76 ERA, 32 GS, 184.1 IP, 248 K, 61 BB, 1.11 WHIP) |
| Managers | Chicago White Sox: Will Venable | Cleveland Guardians: Stephen Vogt |
| Venue | Progressive Field (Cleveland, Ohio) |
| Date / Time | Saturday, October 10, 2026 — 8:00 PM ET (5:00 PM PT) |
| TV / How to Watch | TBS / truTV / HBO Max (Spanish: 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 Friday, Oct. 9, 2026, 10:14 PM ET. Opening line: White Sox +125 / Guardians -151, 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 were at Progressive Field, home of the higher-seeded Guardians, Games 3 and 4 were at Rate Field in Chicago, and Game 5 returns to Cleveland. The road team has won all four games so far (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, Oct. 3. 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, Oct. 5 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, Oct. 7 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. Steven Kwan’s RBI single off Bryan Hudson (L) tied it in the third, and Jo Adell’s two-out, bases-loaded triple off Hagen Smith made it 4-1. José Ramírez hit a two-run triple off David Sandlin in the eighth. Chicago struck out 19 times and went 2-for-11 with runners in scoring position (MLB Stats API box score, AP).
Game 4 recap: Cleveland forced Game 5 with a 9-5 win at Rate Field on Thursday night. Chicago led 2-0 in the third on Murakami’s bases-loaded walk off Messick and Sam Antonacci’s sacrifice fly off Shawn Armstrong. In the fifth, Patrick Bailey’s solo homer off Erick Fedde and Ramírez’s two-run homer off Jordan Hicks put Cleveland ahead 3-2, but the White Sox went back in front 4-3 in the bottom half when Antonacci was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded and Brenton Doyle added a sacrifice fly. Cleveland then scored six runs in the sixth: Travis Bazzana’s RBI double off Anthony Kay (L) tied it, and Bailey, Ramírez and Chase DeLauter each singled in a run and Adell added a two-run single, all off Taylor, to make it 9-4; Taylor allowed four hits and two walks without recording an out. Erik Sabrowski (W) got three outs without allowing a run, and Miguel Vargas homered off Cade Smith in the ninth. Ramírez drove in three runs, Bailey went 2-for-3 with two RBIs, and Cleveland went 5-for-9 with runners in scoring position while Chicago went 1-for-7 and left 12 men on base. (MLB Stats API box score).
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).
Chicago White Sox Preview: ALDS Game 5
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 four games of the series, the White Sox are hitting .205 (26-for-127) with 15 runs, 2 home runs, 19 walks and 54 strikeouts, and they are 6-for-30 with runners in scoring position; 4 players share the team lead with four hits (MLB Stats API box scores). Vargas homered in the ninth inning of Game 4 and walked three times, and Colson Montgomery had two hits Thursday. Braden Montgomery, whose double decided Game 2, went 0-for-5 with four strikeouts in Game 4 (MLB Stats API box score).
Pitching and injuries: Chicago has used an opener in all four ALDS games: Hagen Smith in Games 1 and 4, Anthony Kay in Game 2 and Newcomb in Game 3. In Game 4, Taylor, who had not allowed an earned run in his first 5 1/3 innings of the series, was charged with four runs without getting an out (MLB Stats API). ESPN lists RHP Luis Castillo (shoulder, 15-day IL), C Joey Bart (hand fracture, 10-day IL), RHP Prelander Berroa (elbow surgery, 60-day IL), LHP Ky Bush (elbow surgery, 60-day IL) and OF Tanner Murray (shoulder surgery, 60-day IL).
Cleveland Guardians Preview: ALDS Game 5
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 four games of the series, the Guardians are hitting .214 (28-for-131) with 21 runs, 2 home runs, 25 walks and 30 strikeouts, and they are 10-for-34 with runners in scoring position; Patrick Bailey (5-for-12, 1 HR, 2 RBI) leads the club in hits (MLB Stats API box scores). Ramírez has driven in five runs in the last two games, with a two-run triple in Game 3 and a homer and an RBI single in Game 4. Adell has six RBIs in the series, and Bailey and Ramírez hit Cleveland’s first two homers of the series on Thursday (MLB Stats API box scores).
Pitching and injuries: Cleveland used eight pitchers in Game 4, including Game 2 starter Gavin Williams for one scoreless inning (18 pitches) and Tanner Bibee for one out (15 pitches). Messick, who started Games 1 and 4, lasted 2 1/3 innings Thursday (2 H, 2 R, 4 BB, 5 K, 65 pitches) (MLB Stats API). ESPN lists 1B Rhys Hoskins (back inflammation, 10-day IL), RHP Colin Holderman (wrist surgery, 15-day IL) and RHP Andrew Walters (elbow surgery, out).
Starting Pitchers: Sean Burke vs Gavin Williams
White Sox: Sean Burke (RHP). The 26-year-old went 11-7 with a 3.34 ERA in 32 games (27 starts) this season, with 185 strikeouts, 62 walks, a 1.20 WHIP and a .225 opponents’ average in 172 1/3 innings, and he had a 2.58 ERA in 13 road games (10 starts) (MLB Stats API). Against Cleveland in the regular season he allowed two earned runs in 17 1/3 innings over three outings, with 21 strikeouts and three walks: 6 1/3 innings in a 2-1 home win on June 23 (W), six innings with 11 strikeouts in a 3-1 win at Progressive Field on July 4, and five scoreless innings behind an opener in a 7-3 win in Cleveland on Sept. 14 (W) (MLB Stats API). This postseason he struck out eight in four innings (three earned runs) in Game 2 of the Wild Card Series in Houston, then won ALDS Game 2 at Progressive Field with 5 1/3 innings of one-hit ball, allowing one run with six strikeouts on 83 pitches. Saturday is on four days’ rest (MLB Stats API).
Guardians: Gavin Williams (RHP). Cleveland lists Gavin Williams as its Game 5 starter (MLB Stats API). He went 14-8 with a 3.76 ERA in 32 starts this season, with 248 strikeouts, 61 walks and a 1.11 WHIP in 184 1/3 innings (MLB Stats API). 2026 postseason appearances: Oct. 5 vs. Chicago White Sox: 5 IP, 4 H, 2 ER, 3 BB, 11 K; Oct. 8 at Chicago White Sox: 1 IP, 1 H, 0 ER, 0 BB, 1 K (MLB Stats API).
Key Matchup Notes: White Sox vs Guardians Game 5
- Strikeouts: Cleveland pitchers have 54 strikeouts in the series, including 19 in Game 3 and 12 in Game 4, and Chicago pitchers have 30 (MLB Stats API box scores).
- Bullpens: In Game 4 on Thursday, Cleveland used Messick (65 pitches), Armstrong (19), Bibee (15), Herrin (13), Sabrowski (17), Gaddis (16), Cade Smith (31) and Williams (18), and Chicago used Hagen Smith (27), Erick Fedde (61), Hicks (14), Kay (11), Taylor (18), Hudson (16) and Tyler Davis (27) (MLB Stats API).
- Burke vs. Cleveland: Including ALDS Game 2, Burke has allowed three earned runs in 22 2/3 innings against the Guardians this season, with 27 strikeouts (MLB Stats API). DraftKings lists the Game 5 total at 7.
- Home runs and scoring chances: The teams have four home runs combined in the series, three of them in Game 4 (Bailey, Ramírez and Vargas) after Murakami’s Game 1 homer. Chicago has scored 15 runs in the four games and Cleveland 21 (MLB Stats API box scores).
How to Watch Chicago White Sox vs Cleveland Guardians – ALDS Game 5
Date: Saturday, October 10, 2026
First pitch: 8:00 PM ET (5:00 PM PT)
Venue: Progressive Field, Cleveland, Ohio
TV / Streaming: TBS, truTV and HBO Max (MLB Stats API; ESPN also lists TBS and truTV). The MLB Stats API lists Univision/TUDN for Spanish-language TV.
The winner advances to the ALCS against the Tampa Bay Rays, who swept the Yankees 3-0 in the other ALDS; Game 1 is Monday, Oct. 12 at 8 p.m. ET in Tampa Bay (MLB Stats API). Saturday’s game is the last possible game of the series, and the loser is eliminated (MLB Stats API). Check the run line, moneyline and total above against your sportsbook before the October 10, 2026 first pitch, and look for official lineups closer to game time.