The Cleveland Guardians took sole possession of first place in the American League Central for the first time since early July, beating the Chicago White Sox 6-3 in the finale of a pivotal three-game series at Progressive Field on Wednesday afternoon. The result flipped a division race Chicago had led for more than two months and sharpened one of the most improbable postseason chases baseball has seen in years.
Cleveland (78-75) took two of three from Chicago (77-75) to move ahead by half a game with nine contests left on its schedule; the White Sox have 10 remaining. Rookie outfielder Petey Halpin broke the game open with a three-run home run in the sixth inning, and Jo Adell had added an early two-run single. Starter Parker Messick worked six innings of three-run ball for the win, and closer Cade Smith retired the final four batters for his 37th save. Tommy Pham, back from the injured list, hit a three-run homer of his own for Chicago in the fifth, but it wasn't enough in front of 23,336 fans.
A division Chicago had owned since July
The shift matters because of how long the White Sox had held on. Chicago had occupied at least a share of first place in the AL Central every day since July 4 and led by as much as 5.5 games in late August, according to CBS Sports' power rankings. That cushion is gone: the club has lost seven of its last nine games and been outscored badly during the slide. Cleveland's climb has been just as steep in the other direction, with the Guardians' playoff odds bottoming out near 13 percent in late August before Wednesday's win pushed them to the front of the division for the first time in more than two months.
What makes the race resonate beyond the standings is Chicago's recent history. The White Sox lost a modern-record 121 games in 2024, then followed it with 102 more losses in 2025 — two of the worst back-to-back seasons any franchise has produced. A White Sox postseason berth this fall, even by way of a wild card, would rank among the sharpest single-season turnarounds the sport has seen, a story multiple outlets have framed as a Cinderella run now facing its toughest test down the stretch.
Reaction from both clubhouses
Guardians manager Stephen Vogt, whose club has won three straight AL Central titles, downplayed the significance of a single night's standings shift.
It feels good. It doesn't mean anything yet. We've got a job to do for nine more games.
Stephen Vogt, Guardians manager
Pitcher Parker Messick credited continuity for Cleveland's late push, while rookie Petey Halpin pointed to a veteran-heavy clubhouse steadying the team's younger players.
It's a lot of the same guys with some added help, and I think this team just knows how to win when it really matters.
Parker Messick, Guardians pitcher
Across the diamond, White Sox manager Will Venable tried to keep the loss in perspective, and outfielder Tommy Pham was blunt about what the final stretch demands.
Regardless of how this series went, we knew that this wasn't going to define how the end of this year goes.
Will Venable, White Sox manager
Every game is like a must-win. You have to make the plays, and you have to do the winning thing every day.
Tommy Pham, White Sox outfielder
Cleveland now controls its own path in the division, but Chicago is far from finished. Even if the White Sox don't catch the Guardians, they carry a 1.5-game cushion over the Texas Rangers and Toronto Blue Jays for the final American League wild-card spot, according to ESPN's playoff tracker. Both clubs will lean on their remaining schedules against divisional and wild-card rivals, meaning the AL Central — and potentially a White Sox trip to October just one year removed from 102 losses — may not be settled until the regular season's final weekend.
