ALDS Game 2s: White Sox, Rays Go Up 2-0 and Close In on ALCS

MONDAY, OCTOBER 5, 2026 — Two American League Division Series Game 2s, two road wins, and one recurring theme: the underdogs are one win away from an all-October surprise. The Chicago White Sox rallied from 2-0 down at Progressive Field to beat Cleveland 4-3 and take a 2-0 series lead. Hours later, the Tampa Bay Rays turned four New York errors into a four-run fifth and beat the Yankees 5-2 to go up 2-0. Both clubs return home Wednesday with a chance to end their series early — and both favorites now face elimination before the ALCS.

Here is how Monday’s Game 2s played out — and what they mean with the series moving on.

AL Division Series · Game 2White Sox 4, Guardians 3 — Montgomery’s double puts Sox one win from the ALCS

Down 2-0 at Progressive Field, the White Sox chipped away before breaking through. Munetaka Murakami’s RBI single in the fourth cut the deficit to 2-1, and in the sixth Chicago pounced: Braden Montgomery lined a two-run double down the right-field line for the go-ahead runs, then Chase Meidroth added an RBI single to stretch it to 4-2. The Guardians answered in the eighth on Jo Adell’s RBI triple, but Grant Taylor worked 1⅓ innings for his second straight save, and the White Sox held on 4-3.

Sean Burke was the unsung hero, allowing one hit in 5⅓ innings of relief after Chicago’s starter exited. The victory made the White Sox 4-0 in these playoffs — all on the road — and put the club that became the first to reach the postseason after three straight 100-loss seasons one win from its first ALCS since winning the World Series in 2005. Game 3 is Wednesday afternoon at Guaranteed Rate Field, where Chicago has two chances to do something it hasn’t done since 1906: clinch a postseason series at home.

AL Division Series · Game 2Rays 5, Yankees 2 — sloppy Yankees bury themselves in St. Petersburg

The small-ball Rays did it again, and New York helped at every turn. Tied 1-1 in the fifth, Tampa Bay chased likely AL Cy Young winner Cam Schlittler amid a defensive collapse: Liam Hicks’ slow bouncer to second scored Jonathan Aranda for a 2-1 lead, Chandler Simpson’s grounder was flubbed by shortstop George Lombard Jr. to make it 3-1, and after Lombard’s wild throw to first loaded the trouble, Richie Palacios ripped a two-run single to center for a 5-1 lead. New York committed four errors — and Schlittler, who allowed four runs (two earned) in 4⅓ innings, was gone.

Ben Rice homered twice for the Yankees — a solo shot in the fourth to tie it at 1, and another late to keep them breathing — but New York has scored just two runs in two playoff games against the AL East champion Rays, with three-time AL MVP Aaron Judge still out of the lineup due to a calf injury. Freddy Peralta allowed one run in 4⅓ innings, Cam Booser escaped a bases-loaded jam in the fifth, Ian Seymour bridged three innings, and Bryan Baker threw a perfect ninth for his second save in two games. Game 3 is Wednesday night at Yankee Stadium, where a Yankees loss ends their season and extends their World Series drought to 17 seasons.

Two Game 2s, two 2-0 series leads — and for the first time in a long time, the AL’s establishment clubs are the ones playing October golf. Wednesday decides whether the White Sox and Rays punch their ALCS tickets early, or the Guardians and Yankees force the series back to their ballparks. See all the postseason coverage on the MLB page.