White Sox vs. Guardians Recap: Gavin Williams Strikes Out 12

Cleveland beat the White Sox 2-0, and the whole game came down to one swing. Steven Kwan singled to lead off the bottom of the fourth and Jose Ramirez followed with a 348-foot homer to right for the only runs of the night. Gavin Williams held Chicago without a hit through five innings and struck out 12, and Cleveland's pitchers finished with 21 strikeouts while allowing just 3 hits. Six DARIMARKET plays cashed on this game, including two Williams props we flagged as long shots.

What cashed

Gavin Williams over 6.5 strikeouts (-135 at DraftKings): CASHED - Our read: Williams had 248 strikeouts in 184.1 innings (12.1 K/9), struck out 11 White Sox in Game 2 and 7 more on Sep 14, and reached 7+ in 5 of his last 6 starts. At 62 confidence, this was a long shot that landed. - What happened: Williams struck out 12, 5.5 over the line. He had six through three innings and got the seventh on the first batter of the fourth, catching Kyle Teel looking. He had 11 by the end of the fifth and added Brenton Doyle in the sixth. - Worth watching: Chicago struck out 21 times in this game. Williams strikeout overs against a lineup that whiffs like this are worth a look at a similar price.

Gavin Williams over 14.5 outs (-124 at DraftKings): CASHED - Our read: Williams had recorded 15+ outs in 29 of 32 starts and went exactly five innings (98 pitches, 11 strikeouts) against Chicago in Game 2. The risk was a quick hook after his 18-pitch relief inning Thursday. At 63 confidence, this was the other long shot. - What happened: Williams went 5.2 innings, 17 outs, on 94 pitches, 2.5 outs over the line. The 15th out was Chase Meidroth striking out to end the fifth. In the sixth he got two more outs before a hit batter, a single and a walk loaded the bases, and Erik Sabrowski came in to strike out Munetaka Murakami. - Worth watching: An outs line is about pitch count as much as results. Williams needed 94 pitches for 17 outs, so a strikeout-heavy night can shorten his outing even when he is dealing.

F5: Under 4.5 total runs (-160 at DraftKings): CASHED - Our read: Games 1 and 2 in Cleveland had 2 and 3 runs through five innings. Williams struck out 11 White Sox in Game 2, and Sean Burke holds hitters to a .225 average. - What happened: Two runs through five innings, both on the Ramirez homer in the fourth, 2.5 under the line. Chicago had no hits in that stretch. - Worth watching: First-five unders take the bullpens out of play and lean on the starters. With two strikeout pitchers going, that angle held up again.

ALT: Under 8.5 total runs (alt, targeted -170 or better): CASHED - Our read: Williams had a 2.84 ERA and a .599 OPS allowed at home, and Burke had a 2.58 road ERA. The two games in Cleveland with real starters had totaled 3 and 7 runs. - What happened: The game finished with 2 runs, 6.5 under. Cleveland's bullpen (Sabrowski, Hunter Gaddis and Cade Smith) threw 3.1 scoreless innings with 9 strikeouts, and Chicago's relievers kept Cleveland off the board after Burke left. - Worth watching: Moving the total up from the main 7 to 8.5 gave a lot of room in a pitcher's game. An alt under is worth considering when both starters are this sharp.

Sean Burke over 3.5 strikeouts (-147 at DraftKings): CASHED - Our read: Burke had 185 strikeouts in 172.1 innings (9.7 K/9) and struck out 4+ in 7 of his last 9 outings, including 8 and 6 this postseason. Cleveland struck out 1,494 times this season, and Chicago was using him as a traditional starter. - What happened: Burke went five innings on 71 pitches, allowing 4 hits and 2 runs with 4 strikeouts and no walks. He struck out Travis Bazzana and Brayan Rocchio twice each, and the fourth strikeout was Rocchio to end the fifth, his last batter of the night. - Worth watching: A low pitch count kept his ceiling down, but a 3.5 line left room for that. His strikeout overs are worth a look when he is lined up as a true starter.

Steven Kwan 1+ hits (-227 at DraftKings): CASHED - Our read: Kwan leads off and was hitting .306 with a .397 OBP against righties this season (432 PA), with a hit in 3 of 4 ALDS games. - What happened: Kwan's single to right leading off the fourth was his only hit, and he scored on the Ramirez homer. He finished with one hit in three at-bats, a walk and a run. - Worth watching: At -227 the price is steep. A leadoff hitter with his on-base numbers gets the most chances, which is why this hit prop is worth tracking even when the number is high.

How the game played out

Burke matched Williams through three innings, then the fourth decided it: Kwan's single, the Ramirez homer, and nothing after. Chicago's best chance came in the sixth with the bases loaded and two outs, and Sabrowski struck out Murakami. Petey Halpin doubled twice for Cleveland but was thrown out stretching at third in the fifth and cut down at home in the eighth. Cleveland's relievers struck out 9 over the last 3.1 innings, including the side in the ninth.

Trends to watch

• Williams has struck out 11 and 12 White Sox in his two starts this series. His strikeout props stay worth a look against strikeout-prone lineups.
• Murakami and Andrew Benintendi struck out four times each. Chicago's middle of the order swung and missed a lot against Cleveland's pitching.
• Burke's 71-pitch, five-inning outing shows how pitch count shapes his props. Watch for how deep Chicago lets him go before betting his outs.

Stats are from the ESPN box score. For more on these markets, see player props, totals and alt lines.