Series-bound...
The Rays are heading back to the World Series where they'll try to be the first three-peaters since the 1998-2000 Yankees after walloping the White Sox again to win the ALCS in 5 games. It really wasn't a rout until the end and Chicago looked for 5 innings like they'd bring the series back to Tropicana Field having taken a 3-0 lead over a much-less sharp Hugo Najera. But after getting on the board in the 6th and loading the bases, Will Perez came through with a bases-clearing double to put the Rays ahead for good, and he later scored to make it 5-3. The bullpen, especially Chase Lee, was stellar again to keep it there and then the bats blew it open in the 9th against Chicago's all-star closer Darwin Cruz, crushing him for 8 runs on 3 homers, including yet another one from Kevin White, who tied the MLB record set by the Mets' Daniel Murphy in 2015 by homering in his sixth straight postseason game including all five in this series. He was named MVP in the biggest no-brainer of them all.
So who will the Rays face? It's anybody's guess as the Padres evened up the NLCS at two games apiece:
Whoever it ends up being the Rays will have a decided rest advantage and a chance to set up their rotation.