​Oct 8, 2026; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago White Sox pitcher Grant Taylor (31) walks off the field during the sixth inning against the Cleveland Guardians in game four of the ALDS for the 2026 MLB Playoffs at Rate Field. Mandatory Cred… | Source: Lastwordonsports.com – Augustus Oswald, Site EditorGiven how familiar the Cleveland Guardians’ hitters are with the Chicago White Sox bullpen from the regular season and the first three games of the division series, Game four was expected to be a challenge. The South Siders were walking on frayed ropes up until the sixth inning on Thursday night when it snapped, and the Guardians scored six runs, ensuring the Sox had no chance of clinching their first playoff series at home since 1906. Ultimately, Cleveland won the game 9-5, meaning the White Sox will have to travel back to Cleveland on Saturday to try and extend their season.‎However, it is pretty concerning that the White Sox could not finish up the best-of-five series against the Guardians earlier, as their bullpen has become overburdened and may have run out of gas. The Sox relief corps had a 1.04 ERA in 26 playoff innings, and after taking a 2-0 lead in the ALDS, they looked formidable. But in Games Three and Four, they have recorded a staggering 9.00 ERA. The Sox manager, Will Venable, approached this postseason not to adhere to managing their traditional pitching staff; rather, it was about maximizing his bullpen, but that may cost the team heading into Game five, with the Guardians having the momentum.The White Sox are revealing their Postseason inexperience and cracking under pressure according to @45PedroMartinez 😳 https://t.co/XeCWIqDa0R— TNT Sports U.S. (@TNTSportsUS) October 9, 2026‎What Led to White Sox Bullpen Collapse?Going into Game Four on Thursday night, the reality was that the White Sox bullpen was already taxed, and even before the first pitch there were concerns that the Guardians’ batters had seen Venable pitchers too much in the ALDS already. Hagen Smith, who started in Game One, started Game Four having pitched 2/3 of an inning in Game 3. Grant Taylor pitched four innings in Game One, then tossed in 1 1/3 innings in Game Two and then came on in the sixth inning, allowing four runs in Game Four. Taylor and Jordan Hicks have been Venable’s best arms in the bullpen, both of whom he’d prefer to use in the last third of a game.‎No matter when they are called up, they are the guys who deliver for the team. But on Thursday, Hicks gave up a home run to Jose Ramirez while Taylor threw just 18 pitches and allowed four runs without recording an out. Hicks and Taylor have pitched a combined 13 innings this postseason, but Anthony Kay, a starting pitcher, has pitched 2 1/3 innings. With Taylor throwing 85 pitches this postseason, when he came to the mound on Thursday, his four-seam fastball didn’t carry the same power, and the break on his curveball wasn’t as knee-jerking when a hitter has seen it a second or third