CLEVELAND — General manager Chris Getz, having flown in Monday for the start of the White Sox’ three-game series, said there were only “minimal” reasons they couldn’t stop their slide of 10 losses in 14 games, which had shaved their American League Central lead over the Guardians to a half-game.
Manager Will Venable and his staff posted photos of Sox season highlights on the wall of the tunnel between the visitors’ locker room and the dugout at Progressive Field.
If the visual aids weren’t enough, the Sox’ coaching staff reiterated in pregame meetings the importance of the relaxed, fun vibe that had powered this young team to its surprising postseason opportunity.
But how does a roster filled with players who never had been in a game as meaningful as the one Monday — a 7-3 victory that clinched the season series and secured the tiebreaker over the Guardians in the division — force itself to relax?
“We’re saying dumb stuff,” outfielder Tristan Peters said. “We’ve got guys like [pitcher Mike] Vasil who really get us fired up and really focused on having fun with each other.”
After weeks of frustration, wayward pitching, repeated failures with the bases loaded and five scoreless innings Monday against fireballing Guardians right-hander Gavin Williams, Peters sparked the Sox with the sort of dumb stuff only a gritty team could conjure.
After falling behind 1-2 in the count against Williams (13-8), who was nearing 100 pitches with no outs in the top of the sixth, Peters choked up with two strikes and fouled off a high fastball, then a low curve, a sweeper and another heater. He took ball two, then resumed fouling pitches off — 12 in all.
“I counted at one point, and I just stopped counting because it was getting up there,” Williams told reporters afterward.
Said Peters: “It felt like I was up there for, like, an hour. I swung at one that might have hit me.”
Williams’ 18th pitch in the longest major-league plate appearance of the season was a backdoor curve that missed for a walk, ending his night at 113 pitches. As Peters jogged to the dugout during the pitching change, his teammates were gleeful.
“I loved it,” left fielder Sam Antonacci said. “I think I was more happy than he was.”
With Colson Montgomery batting a play later, Peters experienced what he described as “the greatest feeling in the world” — first baseman Nathaniel Lowe’s throw on a potential double-play ball caroming off his helmet and into the outfield for a run-scoring error.
Tristan Peters called getting conked in the head with a throw “one of the greatest feelings ever” pic.twitter.com/ubo8dK0UJL
— James Fegan (@JRFegan) September 15, 2026
Chase Meidroth followed with an RBI single. Two batters later, pinch hitter Randal Grichuk loaded the bases with a knock of his own. And in the wake of the Sox going 1-for-13 with the bases loaded in their last 14 games, Kyle Teel exorcised those demons with a two-run double. By the time Miguel Vargas launched a two-run home run to cap a back-breaking six-run frame, the Sox were doing their silly dugout celebrations again.
“We have a team here that kind of thrives in that environment,” said winning pitcher Sean Burke (9-7), making a claim that sounded much more credible after his five innings without an earned run.
His key for bouncing back from the worst outing of his career?
“Just trying to throw the ball as hard as I can right down the middle,” Burke said. “I found that helps me just get back and be simple.”
There were dumb mistakes, too. All three Guardians runs were unearned.
Venable tried not to celebrate the Sox claiming the tiebreaker; they’re 1½ games ahead now but still could leave Cleveland in second place. But his team was happy about something that went beyond the standings.
“That [game] was more like ourselves,” Peters said.