Gavin Williams strikes out 12 in ALDS Game 5 vs. White Sox

Gavin Williams delivered a dominant performance in ALDS Game 5, striking out 12 batters in 5 ⅔ innings. This tied a franchise playoff record set by Charles Nagy in 1996 and matched the mark set by Bartolo Colon in 1999.

The Guardians' win over the White Sox completed a comeback, making them the first team since the 2017 Yankees to rally from a 2-0 series deficit in a best-of-five format.

Williams' outing was part of a vintage winning formula for Cleveland, which included a dominant starting pitching performance, clutch relief from multiple arms, and a key home run from José Ramírez.

The game also saw a postseason record of 21 strikeouts in a nine-inning game, breaking the previous mark of 19 set by the same Guardians against the White Sox three days earlier.

The White Sox struck out a total of 75 times in the series, surpassing the previous division series record of 64 set by the 2017 Yankees. Williams accounted for 24 of those strikeouts, the second-most by a pitcher in a best-of-five postseason series.

Despite the White Sox' struggles, they managed to score two runs in the sixth inning, ending Williams' night. However, Cleveland's bullpen continued to dominate, striking out eight more batters in the final three innings.