Guardians Chase White Sox Starter Anthony Kay Early in ALDS Game 2

The Cleveland Guardians seized early momentum in Game 2 of the American League Division Series on Monday, taking advantage of a chaotic first inning to chase Chicago White Sox starter Anthony Kay and claim an early lead at Progressive Field.

Faced with a 1-0 series deficit following a shutout loss in Game 1, the Guardians aggressively pressured Kay from the opening pitch. The White Sox left-hander lasted only 0.1 innings, recording a single out before manager Will Venable opted for an early call to the bullpen. Kay’s exit marks one of the shortest postseason starts in recent history, coming after he surrendered a hit and a walk to the first three batters he faced.

An early defensive breakdown allowed Cleveland to take a 2-0 lead in the first inning.

The pitching change to reliever Sean Newcomb did not immediately stabilize the inning for Chicago. With runners on, Nathaniel Lowe hit a ball that led to a critical defensive breakdown. According to play-by-play data from MLB.com, Newcomb committed a throwing error on the play, allowing both Steven Kwan and José Ramírez to cross the plate. While some early reports characterized the play as a productive out for Lowe, official scoring confirmed the two runs resulted from the pitcher’s error.

Guardians starter Gavin Williams took the mound with a 2-0 cushion and worked to maintain the advantage through the early frames. Williams, tasked with evening the series before it shifts to Chicago, held the White Sox scoreless through the first three innings of the contest.

Chicago began to chip away at the lead in the top of the fourth inning. Munetaka Murakami delivered an RBI single to drive in a run, narrowing the Cleveland lead to 2-1. The White Sox are looking to take a commanding 2-0 series lead back home, while the Guardians aim to capitalize on their early offensive surge to force a reset in the best-of-five matchup.

The official FOX Sports box score reflects a heavy reliance on the Chicago bullpen following the first-inning collapse. Regardless of the Game 2 outcome, the series is scheduled to continue with Game 3 on Wednesday, Oct. 7, in Chicago.

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