CHICAGO (AP) — The Chicago White Sox had two chances to clinch a postseason series at home for the first time in more than a century.
Now they have one chance to avoid a frustrating end to a surprising season.
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Chicago White Sox relief pitcher Grant Taylor (31) leaves the game during a pitching change in the sixth inning in Game 4 of baseball's American League Division Series against the Cleveland Guardians, Thursday, Oct. 8, 2026, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Melissa Tamez)
Chicago White Sox fans sit in seats after Game 4 of baseball's American League Division Series against the Cleveland Guardians, Thursday, Oct. 8, 2026, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Nam Huh)
Chicago White Sox' Colson Montgomery (12) reacts after striking out during the fourth inning in Game 4 of baseball's American League Division Series against the Cleveland Guardians, Thursday, Oct. 8, 2026, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Melissa Tamez)
Chicago White Sox players watch from the dugout during the ninth inning in Game 4 of baseball's American League Division Series against the Cleveland Guardians, Thursday, Oct. 8, 2026, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Nam Huh)
Chicago White Sox relief pitcher Erick Fedde, middle, hands the game ball to manager Will Venable, right, for a pitching change during the fifth inning of Game 4 of baseball's American League Division Series against the Cleveland Guardians, Thursday, Oct. 8, 2026, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Melissa Tamez)
The White Sox are going to a winner-take-all finale in their AL Division Series against Cleveland after a pair of disappointing defeats. Their bullpen is staggering after a 9-5 loss on Thursday night, and their hitters struck out 31 times over the last two games.
Game 5 is back in Cleveland on Saturday night, with the winner advancing to the American League Championship Series against Tampa Bay.
“Of course it’s a little disappointing,” All-Star outfielder Tristan Peters said, “but if we keep thinking that way we’re going to take that into Saturday, and then it’s not going to end well. I’m just telling myself, and I think everybody else is, too, that we’re not done. This isn’t done.”
Chicago earned an AL wild card by going 84-78 this season. It became the first team in MLB history to reach the playoffs after losing 100-plus games each of the previous two years.
Then, with manager Will Venable making all the right moves, the White Sox swept AL West champion Houston in their Wild Card Series before winning the first two ALDS games in Cleveland. It was the first 4-0 postseason start in franchise history — and all four wins came on the road.
That gave the White Sox a great opportunity to wrap up a postseason series at home for the first time since the 1906 World Series against the Chicago Cubs. But they flopped.
“Certainly, that’s something that we wanted to give our fans,” Venable said. “I think we just want to win this series however possible, and wherever that is, we’ll take it.”
Venable has leaned heavily on his bullpen out of necessity. But it looks as though that's catching up to Chicago.
Erick Fedde heard chants of “Fed-de! Fed-de!” from the crowd of 39,920 after he replaced opener Hagen Smith in the first inning Thursday night and pitched shutout ball into the fifth. But he was pulled after pinch-hitter Patrick Bailey launched a leadoff homer and Steven Kwan singled with one out.
Jordan Hicks came in and allowed a two-run homer to José Ramírez that gave Cleveland a 3-2 lead. Anthony Kay got one out in the sixth and was charged with two runs, and Grant Taylor yielded four runs and four hits without retiring any of the six batters he faced.
“They’re making really good swing decisions,” Venable said. “They’re making contact. We talked about how good a job they do of doing that. When you walk guys, they make you pay.”
Taylor, Kay, Smith and Bryan Hudson have pitched in three of the four games in the series. The 24-year-old Taylor tossed 5 1/3 scoreless innings over the first two games of the ALDS.
“I don’t think it plays any role that I’ve thrown more this series,” Taylor said. “It truly was just execution. I walked two guys, and they put the ball in play.”
Taylor threw 18 pitches, eight for strikes. He promised he would be ready for Game 5 if needed.
“I’m going to be available for anything,” he said. “If they want me to go nine, then go for it. I’m going to do everything in the next couple days to be ready to go.”
See AP’s full MLB coverage here
Chicago White Sox relief pitcher Grant Taylor (31) leaves the game during a pitching change in the sixth inning in Game 4 of baseball's American League Division Series against the Cleveland Guardians, Thursday, Oct. 8, 2026, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Melissa Tamez)
Chicago White Sox fans sit in seats after Game 4 of baseball's American League Division Series against the Cleveland Guardians, Thursday, Oct. 8, 2026, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Nam Huh)
Chicago White Sox' Colson Montgomery (12) reacts after striking out during the fourth inning in Game 4 of baseball's American League Division Series against the Cleveland Guardians, Thursday, Oct. 8, 2026, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Melissa Tamez)
Chicago White Sox players watch from the dugout during the ninth inning in Game 4 of baseball's American League Division Series against the Cleveland Guardians, Thursday, Oct. 8, 2026, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Nam Huh)
Chicago White Sox relief pitcher Erick Fedde, middle, hands the game ball to manager Will Venable, right, for a pitching change during the fifth inning of Game 4 of baseball's American League Division Series against the Cleveland Guardians, Thursday, Oct. 8, 2026, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Melissa Tamez)
MIAMI (AP) — Residents boarded up windows and stacked sandbags Thursday while thousands of National Guard soldiers were deploying in anticipation of Hurricane Isaias, which packed swift winds and threatened to bring a storm surge with devastating floods to the U.S. Gulf Coast .
Isaias is the first hurricane of the Atlantic season and was expected to usher in dangerous conditions in the Florida Panhandle, southern Alabama and southern Mississippi when it makes landfall late Friday. Heavy rain and flooding were possible into the weekend as far north as Tennessee and North Carolina.
The Category 2 hurricane is most likely to strike along the Alabama-Florida state line and bring life-threatening storm surge across Pensacola bay, according to the National Weather Service in Mobile, Alabama. But there’s a small chance it could hit further west and have a major impact on Mobile, or further east and have a strong effect on the Florida cities of Pensacola and Destin.
Meanwhile, Hurricane Simon, which formed as a tropical storm on Wednesday off of Mexico and became a hurricane late Thursday, was forecast to strengthen into a Category 4 hurricane.
Isaias had maximum sustained winds of 105 mph (165 kph), according to the hurricane center. It was headed north-northeast at 14 mph (22 kph) and was centered about 230 miles (370 kilometers) south of the mouth of the Mississippi River.
A hurricane warning was in effect from Ocean Springs, Mississippi, to the Bay-Gulf County line in Florida, the hurricane center said. A storm surge warning was in effect from the mouth of the Mississippi to the Suwannee River.
Coastal communities moved quickly to prepare Thursday, as Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey ordered non-residents to immediately evacuate Gulf Shores, Orange Beach and Dauphin Island. Videos on social media showed traffic at a standstill on a highway leading out of Gulf Shores, where double-red beach flags signaled water access was closed.
At least four Florida school districts canceled late-week classes, while several counties announced mandatory evacuations for some coastal areas. The governors of Florida and Alabama declared states of emergency for dozens of counties, with Florida's Ron DeSantis saying about 5,000 National Guard troops were expected to mobilize by Friday.
On Dauphin Island, a 15-mile (24-kilometer) barrier island off the Alabama coast, officials encouraged voluntary evacuations, particularly on its popular western section, which is vulnerable to storm surge.
Mayor Jeff Collier said he did not anticipate substantial damage, “but at the same time, these things are very fickle and a little jog here or there, or some last-minute increase in strength — we just have to be prepared for the worst.”
Water from the storm surge and high tide could reach heights of 5 to 7 feet (1.5 to 2 meters) in parts of Alabama and Florida, forecasters said. Isaias also could dump up to 15 inches (38 centimeters) of rain on coastal areas and spawn tornadoes overnight Friday into Saturday from Alabama to the Florida Panhandle and southwestern Georgia. The hurricane is expected to quickly weaken after coming ashore.
The National Weather Service warned of possible “long-duration power outages.”
Isaias developed more than four months into the Atlantic hurricane season and was one day short of tying a 121-year-old record for the area’s latest-forming hurricane. That record dates to 1905, when the year’s first Atlantic hurricane formed on Oct. 8.
The Atlantic hurricane season has been unusually quiet this year because of a strong El Niño, which disrupts storm formation over the Atlantic. Storm activity has been above average in the Pacific, where Hurricane Simon formed. Farther north, Tropical Storm Rachel was expected to reach Baja California, Mexico, and Southern California this weekend.
Isaias is expected to strike a swath of coastline that’s familiar with major hurricanes.
One of the 20th century’s worst storms, Hurricane Camille, killed more than 250 people after hitting land near Waveland, Mississippi, in 1969. Hurricane Katrina in 2005 razed neighborhoods in Mississippi, flooded New Orleans and killed nearly 1,400 people. And Hurricane Michael leveled homes and buildings near Panama City, Florida, in 2018.
Ahead of the storm, oil and gas producers shut down a significant share of offshore production in the Gulf, which accounts for almost 15% of crude pumped annually in the U.S.
As of Thursday, about 63% of the oil production in the region had been temporarily halted, taking nearly 1.3 million barrels a day off the market, according to the Marine Minerals Administration. It said 121 of the Gulf’s 371 manned oil platforms had been evacuated.
With oil prices already high, the production cuts are steep enough to affect markets, though other Gulf hurricanes have caused larger disruptions, said Jim Burkhard, global head of crude oil market research for S&P Global Energy. More concerning, he said, is whether Isaias strikes as a powerful storm near refineries.
As it moves inland, Isaias might also disrupt Saturday’s college football showdown between rivals Georgia and Alabama, a game President Donald Trump planned to attend.
In Loxley, a small Alabama community where county officials urged voluntary evacuations, Nichole Eubanks and her husband prepared to ride out the storm on their farm, which is home to dozens of animals, including pigs, donkeys and about 20 rescued cats.
They planned to put contact information on the hooves of their goats, donkeys and pigs in case they got loose.
“It’s definitely scary, and you never really know where these storms are going to go and how bad it’s going to be until it gets there,” said Eubanks, 35.
In the Alabama fishing village of Bayou La Batre, Tony Rice and Lance Connor installed doors on their fishing boat Thursday to protect the vessel. The boat was one of many moored there, and Rice said they planned to move it to a less-crowded spot to decrease the chances of it bumping into others.
In Pensacola, Florida, officials said the airport will close to commercial flights Friday morning. Mayor D.C. Reeves urged residents to check on older adult neighbors and others who might need help.
“Obviously no need to panic at this point,” Reeves told a news conference. “This is really about preparation.”
Rico reported from Atlanta and Collins reported from Hartford, Connecticut. Also contributing were Associated Press reporters Kim Chandler in Montgomery, Alabama; Hallie Golden in Seattle; Kathy McCormack in Concord, New Hampshire; John Raby in Charleston, West Virginia; Laura Turbay in Little Rock, Arkansas; and Julie Walker in New York.
Daniel and Brand Harp, of Lebanon Tenn., here on vacation, pack their belongings to evacuate in the morning as Hurricane Isaias approaches Pensacola Beach, Fla., Thursday, Oct. 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)
People walk on the beach at sunset as Hurricane Isaias approaches Pensacola Beach, Fla., Thursday, Oct. 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)
A flag flutters in the wind outside a home as the Gulf Coast braces for Hurricane Isaias’ expected landfall in Dauphin Island, Alabama, Thursday, Oct. 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Octavio Jones)
A home is boarded up with plywood ahead of Hurricane Isaias’ expected landfall along the Gulf Coast in Dauphin Island, Alabama, Thursday, Oct. 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Octavio Jones)
Mike Howard, foreground, and Joshua Brown board up Perdido Key Sports Bar as Hurricane Isaias approaches Perdido Key, Fla., Thursday, Oct. 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)
Residents line up to refuel at Costco Wholesale Gas Station ahead of Hurricane Isaias' expected landfall along the Gulf Coast in Mobile, Alabama, Thursday, Oct. 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Octavio Jones)
A resident walks to his vehicle after filling up a gas container at the Costco Wholesale Gas Station ahead of Hurricane Isaias' expected landfall along the Gulf Coast in Mobile, Alabama, Thursday, Oct. 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Octavio Jones)
Gaspar Amalla pulls his boat out of the water as Hurricane Isaias passes through the Gulf of Mexico, north of Progreso, Yucatan state, Mexico, Thursday, Oct. 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Martin Zetina)
Boat owner Tony Rice, foreground, and his friend Lance Connor haul doors onto his boat to secure it as Hurricane Isaias approaches Bayou La Batre, Ala., Thursday, Oct. 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)
Boat owner Tony Rice prepares to haul doors onto his boat to secure it as Hurricane Isaias approaches Bayou La Batre, Ala., Thursday, Oct. 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Gerald Herbert)
Residents pick up sandbags for storm preparation at the James Seals Jr. Parks & Recreation Center ahead of Hurricane Isaias' expected landfall along the Gulf Coast, Thursday, Oct. 8, 2026, in Mobile, Ala. (AP Photo/Octavio Jones)
Residents pick up sandbags for storm preparation at the James Seals Jr. Parks & Recreation Center ahead of Hurricane Isaias' expected landfall along the Gulf Coast, Thursday, Oct. 8, 2026, in Mobile, Ala. (AP Photo/Octavio Jones)
This satellite image from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration shows Hurricane Isaias surging toward the U.S. Gulf Coast on Thursday, Oct. 8, 2026. (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration via AP)
Residents pick up sandbags at the James Seals Jr. Parks & Recreation Center as they prepare for Hurricane Isaias expected landfall along the Gulf Coast, Thursday, Oct. 8, 2026, in Mobile, Ala. (AP Photo/Octavio Jones)
Residents pick up sandbags for storm preparation at the James Seals Jr. Parks & Recreation Center ahead of Hurricane Isaias, expected landfall along the Gulf Coast, Thursday, Oct. 8, 2026, in Mobile, Ala. (AP Photo/Octavio Jones)
Residents pick up sandbags for storm preparation at the James Seals Jr. Parks & Recreation Center ahead of Hurricane Isaias' expected landfall along the Gulf Coast, Thursday, October 8, 2026, in Mobile, Alabama (AP Photo/Octavio Jones)
Residents pick up sandbags at the James Seals Jr. Parks & Recreation Center as they prepare for Hurricane Isaias expected landfall along the Gulf Coast, Thursday, Oct. 8, 2026, in Mobile, Ala. (AP Photo/Octavio Jones)
This satellite image from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration shows Hurricane Isaias in the Gulf of Mexico, Thursday, Oct. 8, 2026. (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration via AP)
This GOES-19 GeoColor satellite image provided by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and taken at 4:57 p.m. EDT, Wednesday, Oct. 7, 2026, shows Tropical Storm Simon, bottom center, in the Pacific Ocean, off the southwestern coast of Mexico, and Tropical Storm Isaias, upper right, east of Mexico in the Gulf of Mexico. (NOAA via AP)
This satellite image from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration shows Tropical Storm Isaias off the eastern coast of Mexico on Wednesday, Oct. 7, 2026. (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration via AP)
