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White Sox sweep Guardians, flex No. 1 vibes — and do it three different ways

The Chicago White Sox didn’t just take a series from Cleveland — they owned it, sweeping the Guardians in a three-game set at Rate Field to push their record to 11-4 while dropping Cleveland to 6-11. A day later, the payoff landed in ink: Chicago climbed to No. 1 in the MLB Power Rankings (April 20). And somehow, the timing got even more wild when the club optioned starter Tyler Schweitzer to AAA Charlotte on April 21 — one day after his series-clinching gem — while Shane Smith was activated from the IL.

On the field, the sweep was a statement built on depth and variety: a slugfest comeback, an extra-inning grind, and a tight closing act that required late-game nerve.

Game 1 (Fri, Apr. 17): White Sox 10, Guardians 7 — “Blink and it’s six”

Cleveland hit first — hard — with a three-run 1st inning, testing Chicago’s composure immediately. But the Sox didn’t flinch; they answered with the kind of inning that flips a series tone in real time.

Chicago erupted for a six-run 3rd and followed it with a four-run 5th, turning a deficit into a cushion and then into a scoreboard problem for Cleveland. The lineup did damage across the card, finishing with 10 runs on 10 hits, drawing 6 walks, and striking out 15 times — a classic modern offensive line: patience, power, and enough contact to cash it in.

The headline bat belonged to Tirso Ornelas, the Player of the Game, who delivered a thunderous night that included two home runs and game-changing damage in the middle innings. Eguy Rosario added fireworks of his own, ripping a triple and piling on extra bases as Chicago repeatedly turned baserunners into crooked numbers.

On the mound, Mike Vasil steadied after the early turbulence and gutted his way to the win: 6.0 IP, 6 H, 4 ER, 1 BB, 6 K. It wasn’t pristine, but it was sturdy — and in a game where both dugouts were trading momentum like it was currency, “sturdy” played.

Game 2 (Sat, Apr. 18): White Sox 2, Guardians 1 (10 innings) — “Walks, stress, and a walk-off walk”

Saturday was the complete opposite: tight, tense, and almost silent offensively for long stretches. Chicago still found a way.

The Sox managed just 2 runs on 7 hits, but the more telling number was how they controlled the strike zone: 12 walks. The downside? The same patience came with plenty of swing-and-miss — 19 strikeouts — and a massive pile of missed chances (13 left on base). This was a game that tried to convince Chicago to beat itself.

Jonathan Cannon refused to allow it. He authored one of the most important starts of the early season: 7.1 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 2 BB, 4 K, consistently landing in the right counts and forcing Cleveland to earn everything the hard way.

The final sequence had the perfect blend of chaos and clarity. In the bottom of the 10th, Edgar Quero punched a line-drive single to ignite the winning push — and moments later, Nasim Núñez ended it the old-fashioned way: a bases-loaded walk that forced home the winning run. Not pretty. Not clean. Absolutely a sweep team’s kind of win.

Game 3 (Sun, Apr. 19): White Sox 4, Guardians 3 — “Early punch, late hold”

If Friday was the lineup roaring and Saturday was survival, Sunday was execution — and closing.

Cleveland struck first, but Chicago answered with a brutal second inning that became the defining frame of the game. The Sox scored four runs on four hits in that inning, capped by Samuel Zavala’s three-run homer, a shot that turned a small opening into a full-blown shove.

Chicago finished with only 5 hits, but the offense made them count. The Sox also leaned on patience again (7 walks) and forced Cleveland’s starter to work: Guardians right-hander Tanner Bibee took the loss after allowing 4 runs in 6.1 innings.

The anchor was Tyler Schweitzer, who delivered exactly what a sweep-clincher demands: 7.0 IP, 4 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 5 K. He set a tone, held it, and handed the game to the late innings.

And yes — it got sweaty. Cleveland launched two solo homers in the 8th to cut into the lead and bring the tying run into the conversation. But Edwin Díaz slammed the door in the 9th for his 6th save, preserving the 4-3 win and completing the sweep.

Series by the numbers: why this sweep felt bigger than three wins

Chicago didn’t “get hot.” Chicago played complete.

Team totals (3 games):

Record impact: White Sox to 11-4, Guardians to 6-11

Runs: White Sox 16, Guardians 11

Hits: White Sox 22, Guardians 21

Walks drawn: White Sox 25 (including 12 on Saturday alone)

Signature innings: 6-run 3rd (Fri), 4-run 2nd (Sun)

Series pillars:

Ornelas’ power burst (two-homer night) set the tone in the opener.

Quero delivered in the biggest moment of the weekend, sparking the walk-off sequence in Game 2.

Cannon + Schweitzer gave Chicago the kind of rotation backbone that makes a sweep sustainable, not fluky.

Díaz ended the series the same way contenders do: ninth inning, game on the line, no drama allowed.

And then the aftermath: No. 1 ranking… and a roster curveball

The sweep landed with a bonus headline: Chicago rose to No. 1 in the MLB Power Rankings (April 20).

Then came the twist (April 21):

SP Tyler Schweitzer optioned to AAA Charlotte

SP Shane Smith activated from the IL

It’s the kind of transaction whiplash that only happens when a team feels it has options — and right now, the White Sox are playing like a team with exactly that.