There was just one game on the MLB schedule for October 8, one that saw the Guardians in yet another must-win game. And, for the second straight day, the Guardians avoided elimination. In other news, the league made another proposal as the countdown to the current CBA expiration goes on.
Guardians tie ALDS with White Sox
The Guardians defeated the White Sox 9-5 to force a fifth and deciding game for a berth in the ALCS.
For the early part of this game, walks were the story. Parker Messick, the Game 4 starter for Cleveland, walked four batters in 2.1 IP. Messick walked in Munetaka Murakami for the first run, and Sam Antonacci knocked a sac fly later in the third, to make it 2-0.
Then, the pendulum swung. Patrick Bailey hit a pinch-hit home run in the fifth. Jose Ramirez, later that inning, hit a two-run shot to make it 3-2 Cleveland. However, Tanner Bibee could not hold it out of the bullpen, leading to two more runs in the fifth for Chicago.
Down 4-3 entering the sixth, Travis Bazzana tied it with a double, and Bailey burned the White Sox again for a single. Cleveland wound up scoring four more runs to give the Guardians more than enough rope.
The road team has won every single game in this series.
MLB proposes schedule & playoff overhaul
Major League Baseball announced another round of proposed changes, ahead of the pending 2026-27 lockout later this winter.
Among the changes is a return to a smaller regular-season schedule, one not seen since the 1950s. MLB proposed a 154-game regular season, one that would allow the league to add scheduled weekly off days.
It also included going from a best-of-five Division Series to a best-of-seven, all of which would go into effect in 2029. Starting in 2027, the league is also pushing to allow higher-seeded clubs in the Wild Card and Division Series to choose their opponents.
What’s ahead?
Game 5 of the 2026 ALDS is scheduled for October 10 in Cleveland. The winner will face the Rays on October 12 in St. Petersburg.
As for the NLCS, the Dodgers will go to Milwaukee to face the Brewers. The first game of that series is set for October 11 at 7 PM CT/5 PM PT.
Check out more of our MLB coverage.