Are the White Sox this year’s team of destiny? We know the Pope is on board, at least.
Chicago survived a late scare in Game 2, when a Jo Adell fly ball juuuuuust missed leaving the park and tying things up. But, as it stands, the White Sox are now a single win away from a trip to the ALCS. Remember, this is a franchise that lost over 100 games each of the three seasons prior to 2026. Wild stuff.
Can the Guardians avoid the sweep? Let’s dive into this 4:00 p.m. ET afternoon tilt and make a couple picks on the DraftKings Sportsbook.
White Sox vs. Guardians Game 3 pick, best bet
Best Bet: Guardians ML (+108)
In a battle of bullpens, I trust the Guardians’ arms a little more than what the White Sox have at their disposal. After an off day, and in an elimination spot, expect to see a lot of the Erik Sabrowski, Hunter Gaddis and Cade Smith trio.
Strong Lean: Angel Martinez 2+ Total Bases (+157)
Martinez might be the Guardians’ hottest batter. In August and September, the switch-hitter slashed .310/.346/.559 with a 152 wRC+. His ability to hit competently from both sides will be a huge plus in a bullpen game.
White Sox vs. Guardians Game 3 prediction, preview
It’s been a long road for Daniel Espino. Once tabbed as one of the most exciting pitching prospects in baseball, Espino basically didn’t pitch for four years due to injury, before making his return in 2026. Now, the 25-year-old will be tasked with starting a do-or-die elimination game for the Guardians. How’s that for easing yourself into MLB life?
To be fair, Espino will only be used as an opener in Game 3. Even including his time in the minors this season, the right-hander has never pitched more than two innings or faced an excess of seven opposing hitters. He’s certainly looked like an impressive back-end bullpen piece in his brief time in Cleveland, though, maintaining a 2.90 xERA with a 38.5% strikeout rate in 15.1 frames. The fastball velocity hasn’t gone away, either. Espino can still touch triple digits on the radar gun.
In theory, Espino will set the table for Foster Griffin, who needless to say, is a much different look for batters. The left-handed veteran has yet to work behind an opener for the Guardians since being added at the trade deadline, though Stephen Vogt might of found it necessary in Game 3 with how underwhelming Griffin’s numbers have been since the move. In nine starts with Cleveland, Griffin’s pitched to a 5.19 ERA with a 1.62 WHIP. Is a laughably high .381 BABIP somewhat to blame? Certainly. But Vogt and the Guardians don’t currently have the time to wait on normalization.
The White Sox’s pitching path is much more difficult to gauge. We know that Sean Newcomb will open after throwing 41 pitches in Game 2. That’s in an effort to battle the slew of dangerous left-handed bats at the top of Cleveland’s order. Newcomb starting also frees up Hagen Smith to be a bullpen arm, so the rookie and Grant Taylor now loom for any late leverage situations, each capable of throwing multiple innings of their own. How many innings does that leave to cover? It’s honestly unclear. Davis Martin could be involved. So could Erick Fedde. It’s just impossible to know.
This is where the Guardians’ versatility could become a huge asset. More than likely, Cleveland will start four switch-hitters on Wednesday night: Jose Ramirez, Angel Martinez, Patrick Bailey and Brayan Rocchio. However, the club was clearly at its best offensively when not facing a southpaw in 2026. During the regular season, the Guardians ranked 27th in ISO (.131) and 26th in wOBA (.301) within the split. Ramirez’s struggles obviously haven’t helped in that regard, and the former MVP candidate hasn’t looked much better so far in the postseason, as he’s currently hitless in six at-bats. Not ideal.
Conversely, Chicago’s lineup is looking dangerous. Chase Meidroth, Munetaka Murakami and Colson Montgomery have all come up with big hits in either the Wild Card round or the ALDS, and that’s a continuation of what we saw from the White Sox to close out the regular season. Chicago scored an AL-high 81 runs over the final two weeks of September. Not a bad way to head into the playoffs.
