Starting pitchers locked in for Game 5
Cleveland Guardians right hander Gavin Williams will start Game 5 of the American League Division Series on Saturday. Manager Stephen Vogt announced the choice after Williams pitched in relief during Game 4. The 27 year old threw 18 pitches on Thursday to help seal Cleveland's victory as the Chicago White Sox tried to comeback.
Williams started Game 2 earlier in the series, throwing 98 pitches over five innings. Vogt mentioned that Thursday's short outing should work like a high intensity bullpen session to get him ready for this start.
White Sox rely on Burke as bullpens tire
Chicago will start right hander Sean Burke. He pitched five and a third innings in Game 2 after the White Sox used an opener. This time he gets the start from the beginning. White Sox manager Will Venable said the team looked at lineup exposure and how to transition between pitchers for the final game.
Both teams enter the game with heavily used bullpens. Cleveland closer Cade Smith has pitched in every game of the series. He struggled in Game 4 after appearing in Games 3 and 4 despite big Cleveland leads. Vogt acknowledged Smith might not be able to throw a lot of pitches on Saturday.
High scoring trend and all hands on deck
The White Sox have bullpen concerns as well. Right hander Grant Taylor gave up four runs without getting an out in Game 4. He has thrown 67 pitches across three appearances in the series.
Scoring has gone up as hitters get used to seeing tired relief arms. The winner of Saturday's deciding game moves on to face the Tampa Bay Rays in the AL Championship Series starting Monday. Venable made it clear that previous pitch counts will not matter much because both teams are going all out to win.
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