The Cleveland Guardians found their big swing when they needed it most.
Petey Halpin’s two-run homer in the fifth inning flipped Game 3 of the American League Championship Series, and Cleveland rode that shot to a tense 3-2 win over the Tampa Bay Rays. With the victory, the Guardians grabbed a 2-1 lead in the best-of-seven series.
The win started with Gavin Williams, who gave Cleveland exactly the kind of foundation it needed. He worked five innings, allowed two runs on two hits and a walk, and struck out nine.
He was pulled after 70 pitches, with his velocity dipping a couple of miles in his final inning. There were no reports of an injury, but manager Stephen Vogt chose to stay cautious and turned to the bullpen early.
That call paid off. Daniel Espino, Erik Sabrowski, Hunter Gaddis, and Cade Smith combined to throw four scoreless innings and keep Tampa Bay from adding on.
Cleveland actually drew first blood in the second. Jo Adell was originally called out to start the inning, challenged the decision, and won the review. He eventually walked and came around to score on Nathaniel Lowe’s double, helped by a fortunate bounce off the wall.
The Rays answered in the fourth. With two outs, Chandler Simpson came through with a two-run triple that brought home Yandy Diaz and Victor Mesa Jr., putting Tampa Bay ahead 2-1.
That lead didn’t last long. In the fifth, Patrick Bailey led off with a single, and Halpin followed by launching the go-ahead two-run homer. From there, the game tightened into a bullpen battle, and Cleveland’s relievers kept the Rays quiet the rest of the way.
Smith was summoned with two outs in the bottom of the eighth and finished the job with a four-out save, including a clean ninth.
Jose Ramirez reached base three times with two hits and a walk, and he also swiped a bag. Halpin finished with two RBIs, while Lowe added a double and an RBI of his own.
The series moves on Friday at 6:00 pm ET at Progressive Field. The Guardians are now two wins from the World Series.
In Other News...
Guardians' Most Painful Trade Looks Even Worse After New Report
The 2021 swap that sent Junior Caminero from Cleveland to Tampa Bay has long lingered as one of the organizations toughest second guesses, and fresh reporting only adds another layer to the regret. The Guardians moved the then-rising prospect for pitcher Tobias Myers, a deal made with the hope of solving a pitching need while parting with a young hitter who was still far from the majors.
Now the sting is not just what Cleveland gave up, but how close the Rays came to asking for something else from the system before settling on Caminero. Xzavion Curry was among the minor leaguers Tampa Bay initially sought, and the fact that Caminero has developed into a top prospect while Myers and Curry have had quieter big league careers makes the trade look even harder to defend in hindsight. [Read more 🡒]
Guardians Schedule Change Created An Unusual MLB Playoff Ripple
MLBs postseason calendar picked up an odd little domino effect Wednesday, with the league moving Game 4 of the NLCS between the Dodgers and Brewers up an hour to 8 p.m. ET. The change did not come out of nowhere. It followed the earlier decision to shift ALCS Game 3 between the Guardians and Rays from 6 p.m. ET to 1 p.m. ET because of expected inclement weather, a reminder of how one playoff adjustment can ripple across the rest of the bracket.
For Cleveland fans, the practical part is simple: the team confirmed that tickets and parking passes will still work for the new start time. The bigger picture is a postseason schedule that can still bend quickly around weather, TV and the rest of the leagues needs, even as the Guardians try to stay focused on the field rather than the clock. [Read more 🡒]
Gavin Williams Is Giving Guardians Fans Another Reason To Believe
Gavin Williams has already done his share to fuel Clevelands October run, and now he is looking to add something else to the mix as the Guardians head into the next round. The young starting pitcher said he wants to be a more vocal leader as the club prepares for Game 3 of the American League Championship Series, a sign of how quickly he has grown from power arm to one of the voices in the room.
Williams backed up that confidence with his latest outing, throwing 5.2 scoreless innings with 12 strikeouts in the series-clinching win over the Chicago White Sox. Cleveland now turns to a Game 3 matchup with the Tampa Bay Rays, set for 1 PM ET Thursday after a weather-related delay from the original 6 PM start, and the Guardians will be hoping their emerging starter brings the same edge both on the mound and in the clubhouse. [Read more 🡒]