CLEVELAND (Interstat) — Gavin Williams struck out 12 over 5 2/3 innings, José Ramírez hit a two-run homer and the Cleveland Guardians beat the Chicago White Sox 2-0 on Saturday to win Game 5 of their AL Division Series and complete a comeback from an 0-2 series deficit. Cleveland won the best-of-five series 3-2 and advanced to the AL Championship Series. The Guardians will open that series at Tampa Bay on Monday. They are seeking their first World Series trip since 2016. The Guardians/Indians franchise has not won the title since 1948, the longest drought among MLB teams. The game at Progressive Field took 2 hours, 36 minutes and drew 36,889 fans. Cleveland improved to 88-79, while Chicago finished its season at 88-81. Williams earned the win to move to 15-8. Sean Burke took the loss and fell to 12-8. Cade Smith recorded his 42nd save.

Williams was the central figure. He allowed one hit, walked two and struck out 12 while throwing five-plus innings of shutout baseball. He became just the third pitcher in postseason history to get the last out of a game and start the following game when his team faced elimination in both, according to available records. Two days after recording the save in Game 4, Williams kept Chicago off balance from the first inning. He retired the side in order in the first and worked around little trouble until the sixth, when Chicago loaded the bases. Williams finished with 12 strikeouts, including key swings from Kyle Teel, Munetaka Murakami, Andrew Benintendi, Chase Meidroth, Colson Montgomery, Brenton Doyle and Randal Grichuk.

Ramírez delivered the game’s biggest swing in the bottom of the fourth. After Steven Kwan lined a single to right, Ramírez homered on a line drive to right field to give Cleveland the only runs it needed. Ramírez finished 1 for 3 with the home run and two RBIs. Kwan scored on the play. Ramírez later was intentionally walked in the eighth as Chicago tried to avoid another damaging swing. The blast changed the game and gave Williams and the bullpen a lead to protect.

Before the homer, both starters traded quick innings. Chicago went down in order in the first when Sam Antonacci lined out sharply to left fielder Steven Kwan, Kyle Teel struck out on a foul tip and Miguel Vargas grounded out from shortstop Brayan Rocchio to first baseman Nathaniel Lowe. Cleveland also went quietly in the first. Steven Kwan flew out to center fielder Brenton Doyle, José Ramírez flew out to right fielder Tristan Peters and Chase DeLauter lined out sharply to center fielder Brenton Doyle. In the second, Williams struck out Munetaka Murakami, Andrew Benintendi and Chase Meidroth around a walk to Tristan Peters. Burke answered with a perfect bottom half, getting Jo Adell to pop out, Nathaniel Lowe to ground out and Travis Bazzana to strike out. The early innings kept the game scoreless and set up Ramírez’s breakthrough.

Cleveland broke through in the fourth. Kwan singled to right, and Ramírez followed with a home run that gave the Guardians a two-run lead. Chase DeLauter flew out to left, Jo Adell singled on a ground ball to shortstop Colson Montgomery, Nathaniel Lowe popped out to first and Travis Bazzana struck out swinging. Williams continued to roll in the fifth and sixth. In the fifth, Patrick Bailey grounded out, Petey Halpin doubled to right but was thrown out at third trying to advance, and Brayan Rocchio struck out. In the sixth, Chicago threatened. Colson Montgomery was hit by a pitch, Brenton Doyle struck out, Sam Antonacci flew out and Kyle Teel singled to right to move Montgomery to second. Miguel Vargas walked to load the bases, but Murakami struck out on a foul tip to end the inning.

Cleveland’s bullpen took over after Williams departed. Hunter Gaddis allowed two hits and struck out four in 1 1/3 innings. Erik Sabrowski recorded one out with a strikeout. Cade Smith finished with four strikeouts over 1 2/3 hitless innings. Sean Newcomb pitched two scoreless innings for Chicago, allowing two hits and striking out three. Grant Taylor worked a scoreless inning with two walks. Chicago intentionally walked Ramírez in the eighth, but Cleveland left the bases loaded when Chase DeLauter grounded into a force out at home and Jo Adell grounded out. In the seventh, Nathaniel Lowe grounded out, Travis Bazzana reached on a fielding error by shortstop Colson Montgomery, and Patrick Bailey grounded into a double play. In the eighth, Halpin doubled, Rocchio grounded out to move him to third, Kwan walked, Ramírez was intentionally walked and DeLauter grounded into a force out at home. Adell grounded out to end the threat.

Chicago’s best chance came in the sixth, but the White Sox could not push a run across. They finished with three hits. Kyle Teel singled in the sixth, Tristan Peters singled in the seventh and also walked earlier, and Sam Antonacci singled in the eighth. Chicago also got a hit by pitch from Colson Montgomery and walks from Peters and Miguel Vargas, but the White Sox could not solve Cleveland’s pitching. Cleveland finished with six hits. Kwan singled and scored. Ramírez homered. Halpin doubled twice. Jo Adell and Chase DeLauter each singled. The Guardians also drew walks from Rocchio and Kwan, and Ramírez was intentionally walked. Cleveland turned two double plays and committed no errors, while Chicago committed one error. The game moved quickly, finishing in 2 hours, 36 minutes.

Cleveland now advances to the AL Championship Series and will face Tampa Bay. The Guardians are seeking their first World Series appearance since 2016 and their first title since 1948. Chicago’s season ends after a comeback bid fell short. Williams was the top star for Cleveland, with 12 strikeouts over 5 2/3 innings. Ramírez provided the offense. Cade Smith closed it out. The Guardians won the series 3-2.

Interstat’s game simulator had projected a final score of Chicago White Sox 10, Cleveland Guardians 7. Interstat’s ELO system had projected Cleveland with a 55.9 percent probability to win. Cleveland had been installed as a pregame favorite with a spread of -1.5. The total score of 2 went over the over/under line of 7.