AL DIVISION SERIES: WHITE SOX VS GUARDIANS

October 5, 2026

Stephen Vogt

Progressive Field

Cleveland Guardians

Postgame 2 Press Conference

White Sox, 4 - Guardians, 3

Q. Stephen, knowing that Taylor had pitched so recently, how did that affect, if at all, the approach you were taking late in those last couple innings where you were trying to do some damage?

STEPHEN VOGT: Well, I think anytime you have a closer that has good stuff, you are waiting for the first one to come to the plate, and bat a few balls off, and just missed a couple of them in the big part of the park. I thought our bats off Taylor were really good, just didn't get anything to fall.

Q. How about Gavin?

STEPHEN VOGT: Gavin was outstanding. That's elite stuff in a big-time moment. We couldn't have asked anymore from Gavin other than maybe a few more pitches. I thought he did a good job. It was at the third inning or fourth inning getting his pitch up there, but we couldn't have asked anything more from Gavin tonight. He did his job and then some. Just that is a big-time performance by a big-time pitcher.

Q. Why did you take him out when you did; pitch count?

STEPHEN VOGT: Whatever they were in the order. It was, you know, you need him in there. He has to face two more hitters and now you are running him up to 110, 115, and he's gotta come back. It was the right time to get him out of there. He pitched his backside off. Just unfortunate we were not able to get the result.

Q. You mentioned game one, going in adjusting some of the things in your at-bats, going to the board early and then kind of stagnant hitting it hard at the end. What did you see from game one that you maybe approached and then what did it look like in this one?

STEPHEN VOGT: I thought more of the same. I thought they pitched the ball really well. Tip the cap to Burke. We had an unbelievable performance for him.

We had our opportunities. We just were not able to get anything going. I mean, I think he retired 13 straight at one time. He was mixing and matching criss-cross on the low.

The cross curve ball was really good tonight. He was aiming it for a strike, short. Getting the three fastballs to the top, to the corners. But I thought we could have taken some better at bats at times to get some things going, but just one of those nights.

Q. Looked like early in the game though, you beat the White Sox a little bit in their game. You forced their opener out of the game early and forced them to make a move. What happened there in those early innings to allow them to kind of cool down your rally?

STEPHEN VOGT: I think what we just talked about? They pitched really well. And at times, we had good at-bats. At time, we didn't. We just have to continue to push. We need to continued to be ourselves and just take time away. And that's what we've down all year and that is what we need to do the next three games.

Q. Did you think Adell hit it well?

STEPHEN VOGT: You know, he hit that ball well, but at night, with the air the way it is, that is a deep part of the park. This is big-boy territory. Jo has the power to do it. I thought he got under it in just a tick. He didn't quite click it, but you are kind of hoping it gets over the wall, but it is good to see him hit one out there like that. We just fell short.

Q. What were you guys seeing and talking about on the challenge with José?

STEPHEN VOGT: I mean, anytime one of our guys says it hit him, that's the first time I've seen an umpire not give a base. With two challenges, it is worth challenging right there.

Q. On the other side with Vargas, his ability to lengthen outside at bats and obviously he was the last hitter that Gavin had faced, how did his at-bat quality change the game?

STEPHEN VOGT: Yeah. You know, the first couple times, I thought Gavin was having a hard time finding a zone and doing a pretty good battle. We've watched those two battle all year. We have had some really good battles. We talked about it pregame. Gavin pitched really well. It was awesome when he got the sinker out there.

Q. Bazzana defensively, I thought overall really good defensive game from the second base. How has he really evolved in that way?

STEPHEN VOGT: Travis has made tremendous strides defensively. He's worked really hard, particularly on that backhand play. He has had like three or four of them the last two days, kind of the backhand play coming in.

Dave's credit, he works on that every day. Travis has really stepped up in these two games. Really down the stretch defensively was really good for us.

Q. Going into Chicago elimination game, what is the mindset?

STEPHEN VOGT: Backs against the wall. This is where this team thrives. You don't want to be in this position. I am not going to sugarcoat it. We've backed ourselves into a corner. We know that.

If there's anything I know about this group of guys is that we love challenges like this. We are going to embrace it. We're not going to sulk. We are not going to feel sorry for ourselves. We are going to come ready to play on Wednesday. We know what's ahead of us. We have to win three in a row, but that starts one at a time on Wednesday.

Q. What did you see from Sabrowski?

STEPHEN VOGT: Honestly I thought Erik threw the ball pretty well. We did the wild pitch and the walk, kind of hurt, but he gets fam to pop up and kind of left the fastball in the middle of Montgomery, a good piece of hit.

You come up in that situation. That's what you want to do. You want to shoot the ball the other way. You got a fastball down the middle, shot it the other way and a good piece of hitting from Meidroth. That was a good pitch. He kind of flipped it out there. We have seen these guys do that all year. They got a really good approach. They know how to take what the pitcher gives them, but what thought Erik, as a whole, threw the ball pretty well.

Q. Since the offense has been coming on, getting better especially in September, what has happened here against the White Sox?

STEPHEN VOGT: Two games, unfortunately it is two games that are in the postseason. A little bit of try to do too much, a little bit of, you know, Chase maybe not ready to hit your pitch at times.

Again, we have had two games stretches like this all year and we come right back. I got a lot of faith in this offense. I have a lot of faith in this team. Obviously we got our work cut out for us. Like I said, this team plays its best with its back against the wall. I am looking forward to getting out on the field on Wednesday.