Guardians pull up their Sox to force game-five decider

Australian Travis Bazzana has picked up a key hit as Cleveland beat Chicago 9-5 to force a decider in their see-sawing baseball playoff series.

Jose Ramirez continued his post-season heroics, hitting a homer and driving in three runs on Friday (AEST) in Chicago.

Cleveland pinch-hitter Patrick Bailey also went deep as the Guardians won game four of the five-game American League division series.

The Guardians won for the second-straight day after starting the series with two losses that had left them on the cusp of elimination.

Jo Adell hit a two-run single to cap a decisive six-run sixth inning for the AL Central champions. After Angel Martinez sparked the rally with a hit-by-pitch and a stolen base, Bazzana scored him with a double.

The Australian second baseman hit one for four with the one run batted in.

Cleveland are looking to become the first Major League Baseball team to come back from a 0-2 deficit in a best-of-five playoff series since the 2017 New York Yankees accomplished the feat against Cleveland.

Game five is in Cleveland on Saturday night (Sunday AEDT), and the winners will open the American League Championship Series at Tampa Bay next Monday.

Chicago's bullpen - one of their biggest strengths this season - is suddenly looking very tired.

Grant Taylor was hit hard after pitching five-and-a-third scoreless innings in the first two games, allowing four runs and four hits without retiring any of the six batters he faced during Cleveland's rally in the sixth.

Miguel Vargas homered late for the White Sox, who flopped in their second straight bid to clinch a post-season series at home for the first time since the 1906 World Series against the Chicago Cubs. Sam Antonacci drove in two runs.

Gavin Williams got the last three outs for Cleveland after Vargas began the ninth with his first post-season homer.

Cleveland trailed 2-0 before rallying in the fifth with three runs, featuring the homers from Bailey and Ramirez.

Chicago responded with two runs in the bottom half. The White Sox had the bases loaded with two down, but rookie Braden Montgomery struck out swinging against Erik Sabrowski.