Some games hinge on one swing. This one turned on two.
Chandler Simpson had given the Tampa Bay Rays the lead with a fourth-inning triple, a shot into right field that plated Yandy Díaz and Victor Mesa Jr. and flipped a 1-0 deficit into a 2-1 advantage. But Petey Halpin erased that edge in a hurry, belting a two-run homer off Griffin Jax in the fifth and celebrating with a bat flip that instantly became the defining image of the night.
That blast pushed Cleveland back in front for good, and the Guardians held on for a 3-2 win in ALCS Game 3.
Tampa Bay never really got started against Gavin Williams. The Cleveland right-hander carved through the first three innings, retiring the first nine batters he faced and striking out five while the Rays failed to put anyone on base.
Cleveland, meanwhile, found enough early traffic against Jax to build a lead. José Ramírez walked in the first and was thrown out trying to steal second by Liam Hicks.
In the second, Jo Adell drew a leadoff walk and Nathaniel Lowe followed with a double to right that scored Adell for a 1-0 Guardians lead. Lowe advanced to third with one out, but Jax escaped the inning with the run still isolated.
Ramírez kept pressing in the third, singling with two outs and stealing second, but Chase DeLauter grounded out to leave him stranded.
That set up the Rays’ best stretch of the day in the fourth. Díaz opened the inning with Tampa Bay’s first hit, a double to left.
Williams answered by striking out Jonathan Aranda and Junior Caminero, putting the Rays one out from wasting the chance. Victor Mesa Jr. drew a walk to extend the inning, and Simpson made it count with his triple into right to bring home both runners.
For a moment, it looked like Tampa Bay had finally found the inning that could carry them.
It took Cleveland just three outs to rip that feeling away.
Patrick Bailey started the fifth with a ground-ball single that deflected off Jax, and then Halpin stepped in and changed everything. He sent a two-run shot to right-center field and added the emphatic bat flip that followed. Suddenly, the Rays were back in chase mode.
Brayan Rocchio followed with a single, which brought an end to Jax’s night. Tyler Wells took over and got support from Hicks, who threw Rocchio out trying to steal second. Ramírez added another single later in the frame, but Wells struck out DeLauter to keep the deficit at one.
From there, Tampa Bay’s bullpen kept the door cracked. Wells struck out the side in the sixth. Steven Matz handled the seventh cleanly and then got through the eighth with help from Taylor Walls, who made a diving stop on Steven Kwan.
That gave the Rays one last opening in the eighth. Richie Palacios doubled with one out, and Jorge Mateo came on as a pinch-runner.
Walls moved him to third with a groundout, putting the tying run 90 feet away for Díaz. Cleveland answered with Cade Smith, and he struck out Díaz to end the threat and leave Tampa Bay still trailing.
Smith came back for the ninth and shut it down. Aranda flied out, Caminero struck out swinging, and Mesa lifted a foul fly to left to end it.
Simpson’s triple had briefly put Tampa Bay on top. Halpin’s homer took it right back, and the Guardians rode that swing to a 3-2 win and a 2-1 lead in the series.
In Other News...
Rays Fans Are Stuck Waiting On A Crucial ALCS Game 4
Rain has pushed back Game 4 of the American League Championship Series at Progressive Field, turning what was supposed to be an 8:08 p.m. ET start into a waiting game for the Rays and Guardians. MLB Communications and Cleveland both announced the delay and said updates would follow, leaving Tampa Bay fans to sit tight on a night that already carried plenty of weight with the series leaning Clevelands way, 2-1.
The pitching setup adds another layer to the pause, with Nick Martinez lined up for the Rays and Shawn Armstrong slated to open for Cleveland in what has the feel of a bullpen game. For Tampa Bay, the delay only heightens the tension around a matchup that could swing the series, and the hold-up keeps everyone guessing about when the next crucial inning will finally begin. [Read more 🡒]
Rays Need Junior Caminero To Snap Out Of This Fast
Junior Camineros bat has gone quiet at the worst possible time for Tampa Bay, and his Game 3 line in the ALCS only added to the concern. The young infielder went 0-for-4 with four strikeouts as the Rays dropped another chance to gain control of the series, leaving a lineup that has not produced nearly enough against Cleveland.
The frustration is not limited to one spot in the order, either. Yandy Daz and Jonathan Aranda have also been searching for answers at the plate, which has pushed Tampa Bay toward the bottom of the lineup for any reliable offense while it trails 2-1 in the series. The Rays still have time to turn things around, but they need a faster offensive response from the names they count on most. [Read more 🡒]
Chandler Simpsons Rise Just Changed The Rays Outfield Ceiling
Chandler Simpsons rapid climb has given the Rays something they rarely get to enjoy in left field: real certainty. Named a finalist for the American League Gold Glove Award at the position, Simpson has gone from a player still learning on the fly to one of the leagues best defenders, and the improvement has shown up every night in a Tampa Bay outfield that has leaned harder on range and reliability.
Kevin Cash has already been praising Simpsons growth, and the appreciation around the organization goes beyond simple highlight catches. The Rays have seen a left fielder who has become a far more complete part of their run prevention, and the next question is whether that defensive leap can keep pushing the ceiling of what this outfield can be. [Read more 🡒]