CLEVELAND (AP) — Petey Halpin hit a three-run home run in the sixth inning, Parker Messick struck out eight and the Cleveland Guardians moved into first place in the AL Central with a 6-3 victory over the Chicago White Sox on Wednesday.
Cleveland (78-75) has a half-game lead over Chicago (77-75) after taking two of three. It is the first time since July 3 the Guardians have had sole possession of the top spot as they go for their third straight division title.
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Chicago White Sox's Tommy Pham is congratulated in the dugout after hitting a three-run home run in the fifth inning of a baseball game against the Cleveland Guardians in Cleveland, Wednesday, Sept. 16, 2026. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)
Chicago White Sox's Tristan Peters watches as his pop foul is caught for an out in the third inning of a baseball game in Cleveland, Wednesday, Sept. 16, 2026. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)
Cleveland Guardians' Austin Hedges gestures after striking out in the second inning of a baseball game against the Chicago White Sox in Cleveland, Wednesday, Sept. 16, 2026. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)
Cleveland Guardians' Parker Messick kneels on the pitching mound before a baseball game against the Chicago White Sox in Cleveland, Wednesday, Sept. 16, 2026. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)
Cleveland Guardians' Petey Halpin, right, and catcher Kyle Teel, left, watch Halpin''s three-run home run in the sixth inning of a baseball game in Cleveland, Wednesday, Sept. 16, 2026. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)
Chicago has dropped seven of nine and 12 of 17 as its run of 74 straight days in first ended. The White Sox are attempting to become the first team in MLB history to make the postseason after losing 100-plus games in each of the previous two seasons.
José Ramírez had two doubles to tie Nap Lajoie for second on the franchise's career list with 424, and Jo Adell had a two-run single in the third as the Guardians won for the third time in four games.
Tommy Pham, who was activated off the injured list before the game, gave the White Sox a 3-2 lead in the fifth with a three-run homer to left-center before the Guardians answered with a four-run sixth.
Cleveland had runners on first and second off Hagen Smith (3-2) with two outs in the sixth when Halpin drove Sean Newcomb's elevated sinker into the right-field stands to put the Guardians up by two runs. After two straight walks, Ramírez had an RBI double to bring home Brayan Rocchio.
Messick (12-9) allowed three runs in six innings. Cade Smith retired the final four Chicago hitters for his 37th save in 42 opportunities.
Anthony Kay started for Chicago and allowed two runs in four innings.
White Sox: Return home Thursday to begin a four-game series against the Detroit Tigers.
Guardians: Have their final home series of the regular season against the Athletics starting Friday.
See AP’s full MLB coverage here
Chicago White Sox's Tommy Pham is congratulated in the dugout after hitting a three-run home run in the fifth inning of a baseball game against the Cleveland Guardians in Cleveland, Wednesday, Sept. 16, 2026. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)
Chicago White Sox's Tristan Peters watches as his pop foul is caught for an out in the third inning of a baseball game in Cleveland, Wednesday, Sept. 16, 2026. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)
Cleveland Guardians' Austin Hedges gestures after striking out in the second inning of a baseball game against the Chicago White Sox in Cleveland, Wednesday, Sept. 16, 2026. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)
Cleveland Guardians' Parker Messick kneels on the pitching mound before a baseball game against the Chicago White Sox in Cleveland, Wednesday, Sept. 16, 2026. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)
Cleveland Guardians' Petey Halpin, right, and catcher Kyle Teel, left, watch Halpin''s three-run home run in the sixth inning of a baseball game in Cleveland, Wednesday, Sept. 16, 2026. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)
WASHINGTON (AP) — The House on Wednesday passed a broad package of sanctions targeting Russian officials and key pillars of its economy as lawmakers look to deprive President Vladimir Putin of the financial resources needed to wage the war against Ukraine.
The bill is named after the late Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, who spent more than a year negotiating it. The measure was approved in a 262-159 vote and now heads to President Donald Trump to be signed into law.
The legislation represents the most ambitious effort to support Ukraine since President Donald Trump's return to the White House and would break nearly two years of relative gridlock on the issue following a 2024 emergency aid package. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has been pushing for the bill's passage and made a direct appeal to senators shortly before they passed it last month.
The measure sanctions Russian officials, banks and a shadow fleet of tankers that keeps Russian energy moving. It also directs Trump to impose up to 100% tariffs on the top five importers of Russian oil or natural gas, with an exception for countries that import less than 15% of Russia’s natural gas exports and have taken significant steps to reduce those imports.
“These countries have a choice to make about whether they will continue to sustain Putin's aggression,” said Rep. Michael McCaul, R-Texas.
Supporters said the provision is aimed at deterring China and India from purchasing Russian energy, but critics of the bill said they fear Trump will use it to target allies in the European Union and elsewhere. Americans, they warned, would pay the price for such tariffs through higher prices at the cash register.
“This president has always said he loves tariffs,” said Rep. Gregory Meeks, D-N.Y. “And we know the history of what he's done with reference to tariffs to our European allies, and our allies everywhere.”
Democrats were divided on the bill, despite overwhelming support in the caucus for aiding Ukraine. Rep. Steny Hoyer, D-Md., told colleagues they can't control what the president does, but they can stand up and declare where they are on the war.
“If we fail to pass this bill, there will be cheers in the Kremlin and tears in Kyiv,” Hoyer said.
But Rep. Don Beyer, D-Va., predicted Ukraine supporters would come to regret voting for the bill
“Yes they will be able to say ‘we stood with Ukraine’ in the immediate aftermath,” Beyer said. “But when Donald Trump hits our allies with new tariffs and waives sanctions on Russia, the propaganda victory for Putin will be lasting, and the damage will be embedded in U.S. law.”
Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries of New York, speaking in opposition to the bill, said Democrats would continue to support the Ukrainian people until victory is won, “but this bill does not provide a path to secure that.”
Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., celebrated the vote and highlighted the additional tariff power it provides the president.
“For too long, Putin has bankrolled this devastating war with money and resources from countries willing to look the other way, and today, that ends," Johnson said.
Congress has struggled to ensure the flow of U.S. funding and munitions to Ukraine as Republican support for spending billions of dollars more on the effort has waned. Trump routinely derided the Ukraine aid while campaigning for the White House and insisted that, if elected, he would quickly end the war launched by Moscow’s February 2022 invasion.
It took Graham essentially a full year to bring Trump on board with the Russia sanctions package. Eventually, Trump gave a nod to the bill after it included his push for a five-year extension of existing sanctions on Iran. Republicans speaking on the House floor in advance of Wednesday's vote were overwhelmingly supportive of the package.
Rep. French Hill, R-Ark., acknowledged Democratic criticism that tariffs could be used aggressively on smaller U.S. allies, but said it was time to deliver a resounding message to the Kremlin: “End this war, get out of Ukraine, focus on rebuilding your shattered international reputation and your destroyed economy."
The Senate overwhelmingly passed the bill by a vote of 86-11 last month, but momentum slowed in the House. Republican leadership focused on other priorities, namely bills designed to put Democrats on defense going into the midterms. Meanwhile, a chorus of key Democratic lawmakers voiced alarm about the bill's tariff provisions.
Passage of the bill in the House came on the final day that the chamber is expected to be in session for votes before the Nov. 3 elections.
Leading up to the vote, Zelenskyy took to social media urging the House to pass the bill. He said during war it is sometimes better to “make a not-so-perfect decision than to do nothing.”
“And this is a very important historical moment for the United States. The bill must be passed, voted on, and supported,” Zelenskyy said on X. “Beyond that, strong decisions from the U.S. Administration are important. Personal decisions by President Trump. I very much hope we will see that.”
Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, R-La., speaks with reporters outside of his office on Capitol Hill, Wednesday, Sept. 16, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Mariam Zuhaib)
In this photo provided by the Ukrainian Presidential Press Office, Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, center, walks with U.S. President Donald Trump's envoys Jared Kushner, right, and Steve Witkoff at Mariinsky palace in Kyiv, Ukraine, Sunday, Sept. 6, 2026. (Ukrainian Presidential Press Office via AP)
