As expected, the Cleveland Guardians just won’t go away. The White Sox enter Wednesday’s action clinging to a two-game lead in the AL Central with 18 games to play and a massive three-game series in Cleveland scheduled for next week. Not only does next week’s series matter for the standings, but the White Sox will enter with a 6-4 season record against the Guardians, with one more win needed to secure the season series and the tiebreaker. All 18 remaining games are important, but those three feel a little extra so. Guardians fans feel that way too, and they already seem to be worried about the pitching matchups several days in advance.
You cannot start Tanner Bibee against the White Sox if you want to have any hope of sweeping them and earning that tiebreaker. https://t.co/Ng4yDhjSSd
— Always the Jake (@JacobsFieldRBW) September 9, 2026
If both teams kept their rotation the same, the matchups would appear to be: Davis Martin against Tanner Bibee in the opener, Luis Castillo vs Foster Griffin in game two, and Erick Fedde against Parker Messick in the finale. The White Sox have not yet announced a starter for Thursday’s series finale against Pittsburgh, however, so it’s possible they shuffle things around, and it wouldn’t shock me if they try to make sure Sean Burke starts one of those games despite his struggles this week.
Guardians standout Gavin Williams will likely miss the White Sox series
For the Guardians, the obvious omission here is right-hander Gavin Williams. The 27-year-old is enjoying his second consecutive solid season, going 13-7 with a 3.78 ERA in 29 outings so far. His 228 strikeouts currently lead the American League. If the Guardians keep their rotation the same, Williams will start Saturday against Minnesota and won’t pitch in the White Sox series. Instead, the White Sox would face Tanner Bibee, who has a 4.22 ERA in 30 starts. In two starts against the White Sox this season, Bibee has allowed six earned runs in 10 innings. Williams, on the other hand, has faced the White Sox three times this season, and allowed seven earned runs in 15.1 innings.
Regardless of who the Guardians send to the mound, they always play the White Sox tough, so it’s going to be a challenge for the White Sox to put them away. Winning the series would go a long way toward putting the AL Central on ice, but at the very least, the White Sox must win one of those games to earn the tiebreaker in the division. The team has been carried all season long by their offense and strong bullpen, and they’ve hit fairly well against Cleveland’s tough pitching staff so far this season.
Whether the White Sox face Gavin Williams next week or not, their dynamic young lineup will make sure that they have a chance regardless of who Cleveland throws out there. In the meantime, the White Sox have five games to try to build as much of a cushion as they can in the central, and that starts tonight against Pittsburgh.
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