C.J. Kayfus, Jhonkensy Noel Power Guardians Past White Sox 3-1 in Cleveland; Messick Shines in 2025 Matchup

Saturday, September 13th, 2025

Cleveland Guardians Defeat Chicago White Sox 3-1 With Home Runs by Kayfus and Noel

The Cleveland Guardians secured a 3-1 victory over the Chicago White Sox on Saturday night, powered by home runs from C.J. Kayfus and Jhonkensy Noel. The win continues Cleveland's hot streak as they fight to stay in the American League wild-card race.

Kayfus Sets the Tone Early

Rookie C.J. Kayfus launched a two-run home run in the second inning off Chicago starter Davis Martin, delivering an early advantage for the Guardians. Kayfus has been a force at the plate recently, adding to his two-run homer against Kansas City just two nights prior.

Guardians Build Momentum in Wild Card Push

With this victory, the Guardians improve to 77-71 on the season, capturing their ninth win in the last 11 games. This strong stretch enhances Cleveland's chances of clinching the third AL wild-card spot as the season winds down.

Strong Outing From Parker Messick

Guardians pitcher Parker Messick delivered an impressive six-inning performance, allowing just one run on seven hits. The left-hander remains undefeated at 3-0 and sports a stellar 1.84 ERA across five starts since his MLB debut on August 20.

Jhonkensy Noel Adds Insurance

Jhonkensy Noel came off the bench in the eighth inning to hit a crucial pinch-hit home run off Fraser Ellard, extending the Guardians' lead to 3-1. The homer marks Noel's fourth of the season.

Cade Smith Closes the Door

Reliever Cade Smith pitched a flawless ninth inning to notch his 14th save in 19 opportunities, sealing the win for Cleveland.

White Sox Strike First

Chicago took an early lead in the first inning when Lenyn Sosa singled under the glove of Guardians first baseman Kyle Manzardo to drive in Chase Meidroth. Meidroth continued his hot streak at the plate, boasting a .484 batting average during his current nine-game hitting streak.

Key Moment

Despite a rocky start, Messick settled down after allowing three singles to the first four batters of the game. He escaped the first inning thanks to a critical double play lined into by Mike Tauchman, allowing Cleveland to regroup and maintain their advantage.

Key Stat

Cleveland has now dominated the recent head-to-head matchup, winning 14 of their last 16 games against Chicago. With this win, the Guardians take a slim 1,134-1,131 lead in the all-time series between the two clubs.

Up Next

The series concludes on Sunday as Chicago sends right-hander Yoendrys Gómez (3-2, 5.05 ERA) to the mound to face Cleveland’s righty Slade Cecconi (6-6, 4.45 ERA).

In summary

The Cleveland Guardians continued their late-season surge with a 3-1 win over the Chicago White Sox, highlighted by home runs from C.J. Kayfus and Jhonkensy Noel and a strong outing from Parker Messick. The victory keeps Cleveland in the thick of the AL wild-card chase and extends their dominance over the White Sox in recent matchups. As the series finale approaches, both teams look to finish strong down the stretch of the regular season.

MLB Schedules

Today's MLB Games

There are no baseball games today.

Tomorrow's MLB Games

There are no baseball games tomorrow.

Yesterday's MLB Games

There were no baseball games yesterday.