The Cleveland Guardians found their swing when it mattered most, and it came from a name plenty of fans may not have had circled before this postseason.
Petey Halpin stepped into a pressure-packed spot in Game 3 of the ALCS against the Tampa Bay Rays and sent a go-ahead two-run homer off Griffin Jax to put Cleveland ahead 3-2. The Guardians were trailing 2-1 before the blast, and with the series tied 1-1 entering the game, the swing arrived at a moment that could loom large.
Halpin has been one of Cleveland’s most productive hitters in October, even if he isn’t the kind of player who usually grabs the spotlight. After his home run, the center fielder was hitting .364 in the playoffs, giving the Guardians a timely boost from an unexpected source.
Petey Halpin CRUSHES a go ahead HR for the Guardians! 💥 pic.twitter.com/n72f6VmEq7
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) October 15, 2026
That matters for a team that will likely need something from everyone in the lineup if it wants to keep moving. Halpin’s work against Jax is the kind of shot in the arm that can shape a close series, especially in a round where each win comes with real weight.
At the time of publication, Cleveland was up 3-2 with nine outs remaining. With one of the best bullpens in the game and an elite closer in Cade Smith, the Guardians were in a strong position as Game 3 reached its final stretch.
Halpin has already left his footprint on the series, and Cleveland will be hoping there’s more where that came from.
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 🡒]