White Sox Blank Guardians 3-0 in ALDS Opener Behind Murakami Homer, Taylor Save

Munetaka Murakami's two-run homer and a four-inning save from Grant Taylor carried the White Sox past the Guardians 3-0 in Game 1 of the ALDS at Progressive Field.

The Chicago White Sox kept their October run going on Saturday, shutting out the Cleveland Guardians 3-0 at Progressive Field to move ahead 1-0 in their American League Division Series.

All of Chicago's scoring came from two pieces of contact. Munetaka Murakami put the White Sox in front with a two-run home run off Cleveland starter Parker Messick in the fourth inning, and rookie Colson Montgomery tacked on an RBI double in the seventh.

Messick was nearly untouchable early, needing 54 pitches to navigate the first three innings while striking out six. Chicago put only two runners on in that span, both in the first inning, and Messick touched 98 mph while filling the zone. Cleveland's lineup never gave him any support.

Chicago's pitching plan centered on blunting a Guardians offense built around small ball and aggressive baserunning, with Steven Kwan and Jose Ramirez the usual engines and Travis Bazzana joining them. Hagen Smith drew the start and set down the first eight hitters, striking out four, before three straight walks loaded the bases with two outs in the third. Bryan Hudson entered and recorded the final out of the inning without a run scoring.

The relievers behind him kept bending without breaking. Jordan Hicks struck out two and walked one before giving way to Anthony Kay, who allowed a two-out double with a runner on and later loaded the bases again in the fourth, escaping both threats. Kay completed the fifth with the shutout intact.

Grant Taylor then handled the rest. Manager Will Venable handed him the ball in the sixth and kept him in through the final out, and Taylor delivered a four-inning save, giving up two hits and striking out six. Stretching Taylor beyond two innings was an uncommon call, and the 42-pitch outing stood as the longest of his season.

Cleveland's biggest bats never got going. The Guardians finished with three hits in all, as Kwan went 0-for-3 with a walk, Ramirez was 0-for-3 and Bazzana managed a single. Cleveland was playing for the first time in six days after the regular season ended and never found a rhythm at the plate.

The teams rest Sunday before Game 2 on Monday in Cleveland. The White Sox had not announced a starting pitcher, with Davis Martin and Sean Burke the two candidates. Martin has not pitched since September and would be making his postseason debut; he had been lined up for a Game 3 against Houston earlier this postseason, but Chicago closed that series out in two games. Burke threw four innings against the Astros. Gavin Williams starts for the Guardians after a regular season in which he covered 184 1/3 innings with a 3.76 ERA and 248 strikeouts.

Game 2 is scheduled for Monday, October 5, at 5:00 PM EDT at Progressive Field, with coverage on TBS and truTV.