The winner moves on to face the Tampa Bay Rays in the ALCS. The loser's 2026 season ends. Chicago will counter with right-hander Sean Burke, its top starter during the regular season.
Williams led the American League with 248 strikeouts, so manager Stephen Vogt's choice was an easy one. Rookie Parker Messick took the ball in Game 4, and Williams came out of the bullpen to secure that win in Chicago.
The turnaround puts Williams in rare air. Sarah Langs noted on Bluesky that he will become only the sixth pitcher since 1945 to record the last out of one game and start the next in the same postseason series. Of the five before him, two pitched in what CBS Sports calls ancient times for pitcher usage. The two most recent worked as openers. That leaves Batista's 2001 NLDS start against the Cardinals as the lone useful comparison, when he struck out four and walked none over six innings. Batista threw 12 pitches in relief, while Williams threw 18. Vogt is expected to want length from Williams, though a quick hook is possible.