White Sox ALDS Lineup (Game 1): Hagen Smith Starts, Leaning on Veterans? More
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White Sox fans can barely believe it.
After winning their first official playoff series since 2005, the South Siders are ALDS bound. Even if this organization booked an ALDS ticket in 2021, this is a true pinch-me moment for many. This White Sox team has felt borderline special all year long, as their young nucleus has continued to show up in big moments.
Nevertheless, they are set for a whole new challenge. Not only are the Guardians the far more experienced team, but they are also a stiff division rival. These two teams know each other incredibly well, and it was only a few weeks ago that Cleveland stole their most recent series against the White Sox.
Game Info
Who: Chicago White Sox at Cleveland Guardians
What: ALDS Game 1
Where: Progressive Field
When: 12:00 CT
Watch: CHSN
Listen: ESPN Chicago WMVP 1000 AM
Chicago White Sox Lineup
1. Chase Meidroth, 2B
2. Randal Grichuk, LF
3. Miguel Vargas, 3B
4. Munetaka Murakami, 1B
5. Tommy Pham, DH
6. Brenton Doyle, CF
7. Kyle Teel, C
8. Braden Montgomery, RF
9. Colson Montgomery, SS
With a lefty on the mound, Will Venable is shaking things up.
Chase Meidroth will step back into the lead-off spot, while Randal Grichuk will move up to second in the order. The left fielder has been a remarkable mid-season pickup for the White Sox, hitting .299 with a .926 OPS over his 101 games. Especially when we consider the inexperience on this roster, Grichuk is someone who can come through in the clutch.
Miguel Vargas and Munetaka Murakami will bat third and fourth, respectively. The White Sox need these two to flash some of the power that initially put them in the postseason picture. Both struggled in the series against the Astros, going a combined 1-for-17.
Tommy Pham will bat fifth and make his first postseason start. All things considered, it's pretty crazy to think that he's even on the roster. The organization only signed him a couple of weeks back, but they clearly value what he can bring to the clubhouse. Pham has 37 games of playoff baseball under his belt.
Brenton Doyle, Kyle Teel, Braden Montgomery, and Colson Montgomery will round things out. For what it's worth, the end of the year for the two Montgomerys couldn't have been more different. Colson became the all-time single-season AL strikeout leader. Braden hit .429 over his last eight games. With that said, Montgomery did leave the Wild Card round with a big home run. The White Sox are crossing their fingers that it's a sign of what is to come.
Cleveland Guardians Lineup
1. Steven Kwan, CF
2. José Ramírez, 3B
3. Chase DeLauter, DH
4. Jo Adell, RF
5. Angel Martínez, LF
6. David Fry, 1B
7. Travis Bazzana, 2B
8. Austin Hedges, C
9. Brayan Rocchio, SS
On the Mound ...
White Sox – Hagen Smith, LHP
The Chicago White Sox are calling Hagen Smith back to the mound. The rookie started Game 1 of the Wild Card series and pitched a gem. Likewise, even though his time in the Majors has been brief, Smith has thrown against this Guardians squad on three different occasions.
It is worth mentioning that the last time he faced Cleveland, things weren't as flawless as usual. He walked a pair of batters and ended up allowing 2 earned runs in 1.2 innings. It's also worth noting that he pitched only a handful of days ago, dealing 3.0 innings of work for only the second time since being called up.
How long will the White Sox leave him in this game? Is he simply going to be used as an opener, or do they plan to push the limit? If one thing is for sure, this bullpen will continue to see a lot of work.
Guardians – Parker Messick, LHP
As good as Hagen Smith has been, the Guardians will have the upper hand on the mound this afternoon.
Parker Messick has been fantastic in Year 2, carrying a 12-9 record with a 2.56 ERA. He has a fantastic four-seamer, change-up combination that both limits hard contact and forces swings and misses. He has also been very good at limiting mistakes, carrying a walk rate of just 6.6 percent.
The good news for the White Sox, however, is that they got to Messick the last time they met. Over 6.0 innings of work, they recorded seven hits and posted 3 runs, which included sending one ball over the fence.
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Elias Schuster is a sports journalist and content creator from the northern suburbs of Chicago. A graduate from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, he has covered the Bulls since 2019-20 and previously served as the editor of BN Bulls at Bleacher Nation. He has been the Publisher for Bulls On SI since December of the 2025-26 season. When he isn't obsessing over hoops, Elias spends his time obsessing over practically every other sport – much to his wife's dismay. He also loves strolling the streets of Chicago for the best cozy bar or restaurant to set up shop and write his next article.
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