Guardians extend White Sox postseason home misery traceable to 1906

The Chicago White Sox are fighting to stay alive in the ALDS against the Cleveland Guardians, but their postseason tailspin looks set to continue.

By Santiago Tovar

Updated on October 09, 2026 12:54PM EDT

**© Michael Reaves/Getty Images**Munetaka Murakami #5 of the Chicago White Sox walks to the dugout.

It’s win-or-go-home time for the Chicago White Sox. With the ALDS tied heading into Game 5 on Saturday, Chicago finds itself haunted by a century-old postseason drought that the Cleveland Guardians are now threatening to extend.

According to USA Today‘s Bob Nightengale, the White Sox haven’t clinched a postseason series on home turf since 1906. After failing to punch their ticket to the ALCS in front of their home fans, they must now head to Cleveland to save their season.

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Coming off a sluggish Game 4 loss in which the defense repeatedly misfired, Chicago faces an uphill battle to keep its pennant hopes alive in front of a hostile Cleveland crowd.

Though slugger Munetaka Murakami capped off a historic regular season as one of just three MLB hitters to reach a major milestone, his postseason production hasn’t been enough to carry a team that is faltering on the other side of the ball.

The last time the White Sox clinched a playoff series at home

The last time Chicago secured a postseason series victory on home soil was during their inaugural 1906 World Series title run, when they defeated their cross-town rival Chicago Cubs 8-3 in Game 6.

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In the 120 years since, the White Sox have made 11 postseason appearances and won two additional World Series titles, yet neither champion team clinched on home turf. By dropping Game 4, Chicago missed another chance to break the streak and allowed the Guardians to completely shift the momentum after trailing 2-0 early in the series.

Now, the White Sox are trying to end a 21-year ALCS drought, aiming to reach the championship round for the first time since their historic 2005 World Series championship run.

Key takeaways

The White Sox haven’t clinched a postseason series at home since the 1906 World Series.
Slugging star Munetaka Murakami capped off a historic regular season for Chicago.
Chicago drops Game 4 to force a decisive Game 5 in Cleveland.

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Santiago Tovar

Santiago Tovar is a bilingual sports journalist who joined Bolavip US in 2024. With over seven years of experience, he has covered a diverse range of sports, including soccer, NFL, NBA, tennis, and Formula 1. Santiago has provided real-time coverage of major events such as the 2021 Women's Copa America, Copa Libertadores, Copa Sudamericana, and the Davis Cup qualifiers. Before joining Bolavip US, he worked at Kienyke.com and Redmas.com.co, where he developed strategies to highlight key sports moments across websites and social media platforms.