What looked like a strong week for the Guardians has ended with a bad taste, but there’s still plenty to point to from the two wins they’ve already banked as the series stands at 3-2 Tampa Bay.
Gavin Williams has been the headliner in the postseason so far. In four playoff starts this year, he is 2-0 with a 2.16 ERA and 33 strikeouts.
The whole pitching staff has been sharp over the past couple of weeks, but Williams has stood out above the rest. He’s been fooling hitters, piling up records, and giving the Guardians what has felt like a near-automatic win every time he takes the mound.
Manager Stephen Vogt has already said Williams won’t be used on short rest, which means his next turn is being saved for game seven. So now it’s just a matter of hoping the series gets that far.
The other name making noise is Petey Halpin, who has become the unexpected hero of the Guardians’ postseason run. He came into October hitting .225 with four home runs and 10 stolen bases, but he has already delivered more in this postseason than most expected.
In just 15 at bats, he has a home run and two RBIs. His homer in Thursday’s game three was the difference in a 3-2 win that put the Guardians up 2-1 in the series.
He couldn’t help seal Saturday’s game, but he still made a huge impact with a remarkable catch in center field that kept Junior Caminero from turning it into a double or possibly even a triple. He was not the player most people would have circled as a major postseason contributor, but he’s made his presence felt.
There’s also the trade deadline group, which delivered in the opener after the Rays jumped out to a 2-0 lead. The game felt like it might be slipping away until the top of the seventh, when catcher Patrick Bailey lined a 90.4 mph first-pitch cutter from Drew Rasmussen into center field to tie it.
From there, the trade deadline additions sparked a run of scoring that carried the Guardians to a 7-3 win and an early 1-0 series lead. Bailey, along with Nathaniel Lowe and Jo Adell, has helped prove the front office’s deadline moves were worth it.
In Other News...
Guardians Just Got An Added Insult Before Elimination Game In Tampa
The Guardians head to Tampa facing elimination after the Rays grabbed a 3-2 lead in the American League Championship Series with a 3-1 win in Game 5. For Cleveland, the margin for error is gone, and the next stop at Tropicana Field carries all the weight that comes with a season hanging in the balance.
Yandy Daz added to the mood around the series by sounding confident the Rays will finish the job in Game 6 on their home field, while also singling out Drew Rasmussen for the quality of his pitching in this matchup. Cleveland now has to answer not just Tampa Bays momentum, but the confidence the Rays are carrying into a potential clincher. [Read more 🡒]
Stephen Vogt Just Raised The Stakes With Cleveland's Game 6 Plan
The Guardians are choosing patience over urgency as the ALCS shifts back into a critical Game 6, with Stephen Vogt saying Gavin Williams will not take the ball on short rest. Williams last worked in Game 3, and Cleveland is keeping him lined up for a potential Game 7 on regular rest instead of pushing him into a role that could compromise what comes next.
So Game 6 becomes a different kind of test for Clevelands pitching staff, one that will lean on Tanner Bibee and a collection of bullpen arms to get through the night. Its the kind of decision that speaks to how tightly the series is being managed, with the Guardians trying to balance the immediate pressure of elimination against the possibility of needing their best arm one more time. [Read more 🡒]
Guardians Turn To An Unexpected Arm In Must Win Game 6
The Guardians are making a pivot in a do-or-die moment, handing the Game 6 opener role to right-hander Shawn Armstrong as they try to keep their season alive. Cleveland has already seen what a steady postseason arm can do from the other side, with Rays starter Drew Rasmussen following up a strong run with another dominant Game 5 outing, while the Guardians are still trying to settle the top of their pitching plan after rookie Parker Messick struggled in his recent start.
Freddy Peralta is lined up to start Game 6 for Tampa Bay, adding another layer to a matchup that has tilted toward the Rays pitching depth. For Cleveland, the decision to turn to Armstrong is a clear sign of how tight the margin is now, and how much the Guardians are leaning on flexibility rather than a more traditional formula as they face one last chance to force the series on. [Read more 🡒]