National Sports

Guardians go up 2-1 in ALCS with Thursday win over Rays

CLEVELAND -- Rookie Petey Halpin hit a go-ahead, two-run homer, Gavin Williams struck out nine over five innings and the Cleveland Guardians beat the Tampa Bay Rays 3-2 in Game 3 Thursday afternoon to take a 2-1 lead in the AL Championship Series.

Game 4 in the best-of-seven matchup is scheduled for this evening, though rain is forecast.

“It’s the second time he’s kind of picked us up in a big spot this year. And a really fun moment for him, great swing,” Cleveland manager Stephen Vogt said.

José Ramírez had two hits and Nathaniel Lowe added an RBI for the Guardians, who have won five of their last six playoff games since trailing the Chicago White Sox 2-0 in their AL Division Series.

Cleveland also improved to 6-1 in ALCS Game 3’s, including 5-1 at home and six wins in a row since a 1995 loss against Seattle.

Patrick Bailey started the fifth with a chop that pitcher Griffin Jax was unable to cleanly field. Halpin connected on a elevated 95.9 mph sinker on a 2-2 count and drove it 385 feet into the stands in right-center for a 3-2 lead.

Halpin watched the ball clear the wall and then did an emphatic bat flip over his head before rounding the bases.

“I definitely threw it high. I think just the moment and that being for sure the biggest moment of my career, just the energy and the excitement, just kind of let it go,” Halpin said.

It was Halpin’s first postseason home run and only the fifth overall of his two-year big league career. It was the first time Jax allowed a homer since Sept. 9, a span of five appearances.

Rays manager Kevin Cash said that Jax wouldn’t have been able to make a play on Bailey’s chop, especially with the jump Bailey got leaving the batter’s box. The sinker to Halpin just leaked over the plate.

“He does a good job handling off-speed, so it was the right pitch. Just the wrong location,” Jax said.

Strong start

Williams allowed two runs in five innings with one walk. He is 2-0 with a 2.16 ERA and 33 strikeouts over 16 2/3 innings in four postseason games this season, including three starts.

The right-hander came out after 70 pitches, including 52 strikes. Vogt said he noticed Williams’ velocity drop in the fifth and wanted to make sure he could be used later in the series.

Williams pitched one inning of relief in the Game 4 of the Division Series and then started Game 5.

Cleveland retired 16 of the Rays’ last 17 batters. Daniel Espino, Erik Sabrowski, Hunter Gaddis and Cade Smith allowed only one baserunner the final four innings.