The Chicago White Sox are one win away from reaching the American League Championship Series for the first time since 2005 after coming from behind to beat the Cleveland Guardians 4-3 in Game 2 of the ALDS on Monday.
Trailing 2-1, Chicago scored three runs in the sixth inning after the Guardians removed starter Gavin Williams from the game. Williams struck out 11 before departing. White Sox rookie slugger Munetaka Murakami plated Miguel Vargas with a single in the fourth for Chicago's first run.
Braden Montgomery's RBI double off Guardians left-hander Erik Sabrowski drove in Vargas and Randal Grichuk, putting the White Sox ahead and proving to be the difference in the contest.
"I was just ready for something to attack, and I was ready for his hardest stuff. I gave myself my best chance to succeed," Montgomery said, according to Joe Reedy of The Associated Press. "I can't even describe how it felt. It's exhilarating. I was just taking it all in."
Catcher Kyle Teel said he was confident the White Sox were in good hands with Montgomery at the plate in a clutch situation.
"I knew (Montgomery) was going to do something big," Teel said postgame, according to MLB. "That guy just hits. He's always coming up big for us. That's the guy you want in that spot."
Guardians designated hitter Jo Adell narrowly missed hitting a game-tying homer in the eighth off Grant Taylor, who entered for the White Sox after Sean Burke shut down Cleveland for 5 1/3 frames. Taylor pitched a 1-2-3 ninth to earn his second save of the series, with Burke recording the win.
The White Sox are undefeated in the postseason and will head to Chicago with a chance to wrap up the series Wednesday.
"They've been waiting 120 years, so maybe we can do it this year," Taylor said. "I think it's going to be unbelievable. Those fans deserve it. They've been with us for three years of 100 losses, and they've been with us a good bit this year, giving us a lot of support as we've gone through this. So being able to give them a postseason game is going to be pretty special."
