CLEVELAND - The American League Championship Series is living up to the grind both managers said to expect, and Thursday’s Game 3 fit the script perfectly.
The Guardians edged the Rays 3-2 at Progressive Field to take a 2-1 lead in the best-of-seven series, with Game 4 set for Friday evening. That next game, though, could be in danger if the forecasted rain in Cleveland shows up all day and night, which might force the schedule to shift.
This one bounced back and forth, with both clubs taking turns grabbing control before the Guardians finally finished the job.
Cleveland got on the board first in the second inning against Tampa Bay starter Griffin Jax. Jo Adell opened the frame by drawing a walk, and Nathaniel Lowe followed with a double. Lowe, the former Rays first baseman who also delivered a key hit in Monday’s opener, gave the Guardians an early push.
The Rays, meanwhile, had been held off the board through their first nine batters against Guardians right-hander Gavin Williams before putting together their best inning in the fourth. Yandy Diaz started it with a double, Victor Mesa Jr. worked a walk after two strikeouts, and then Chandler Simpson delivered the big swing.
After getting behind 0-2, Simpson took one Williams sweeper for a ball and then lined the next pitch down the right-field line. Third-base coach Brady Williams waved home both Diaz and Mesa, and Simpson cruised into third with the go-ahead hit. It was a timely response from Simpson, who was named Wednesday as a finalist for the American League Gold Glove award for his work in left field.
But Tampa Bay’s 2-1 lead didn’t last long.
In the fifth, Patrick Bailey led off by bouncing a ball over the mound. Jax tried to handle it himself instead of letting shortstop Taylor Walls take the play, and the gamble backfired.
Then came the bigger damage: Jax missed with a 2-2 sinker to Petey Halpin, leaving it over the plate, and the rookie made him pay with a 385-foot home run to right-center. Halpin flipped his bat high after the blast.
The Rays still had a shot late. Richie Palacios doubled with one out in the eighth against Hunter Gaddis, and after Walls grounded out, pinch-runner Jorge Mateo moved to third. But Cleveland turned to closer Cade Smith, and he shut the door on Yandy Diaz in a 10-pitch at-bat, ending the inning with a strikeout.
Offense never came easy for Tampa Bay, and Junior Caminero’s 0-for-4 night with four strikeouts was a major reason why.
League officials were reportedly discussing the weather situation, and if Friday’s game gets postponed, the likely move would be to play Game 4 on Saturday and Game 5 on Sunday in Cleveland. That would wipe out the scheduled off and travel day before a possible Game 6 at Tropicana Field, which would still be Monday, with Game 7, if necessary, on Tuesday.
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Forecasted rain in Cleveland prompted the adjustment, a move MLB made to keep the series on schedule and reduce the risk of weather complications. For Tampa Bay, it means a much different rhythm for a game that suddenly has even more weight, with the next swing in the series now coming in the middle of the day instead of under the lights. [Read more 🡒]