CLEVELAND — The Cleveland Guardians took a 2-1 lead in the American League Championship Series with a 3-2 victory over the Tampa Bay Rays in Game 3 on Thursday night at Progressive Field. The win was powered by rookie outfielder Petey Halpin, who hit a go-ahead, two-run home run in the fifth inning, and starting pitcher Gavin Williams, who struck out nine over five innings.
Halpin’s 385-foot homer off Rays pitcher Griffin Jax gave Cleveland a 3-2 lead and energized the home crowd of 30,101 despite the game’s earlier time adjustment due to potential rain. After sending the ball over the right-center field wall, Halpin celebrated with an emphatic bat flip, a gesture he described as a release of excitement during the biggest moment of his young career. The 24-year-old outfielder’s postseason home run was his first and only the fifth long ball of his two-year major league career.
The play came after a hustle bunt by Guardians’ Patrick Bailey, which Jax was unable to field cleanly, setting the stage for Halpin’s at-bat. Jax acknowledged the difficulty in handling the bunt and conceded that the sinker he threw to Halpin was left over the plate, leading to the decisive hit. Tampa Bay manager Kevin Cash noted the need for near perfection against Cleveland’s pitching staff, as the Rays managed only two runs on three hits.
Williams, meanwhile, delivered another strong performance in the postseason, allowing two runs on five hits with one walk over five innings. He improved to 2-0 in the playoffs with a 2.16 ERA and 33 strikeouts across 16⅔ innings this year. The Guardians’ bullpen was effective in closing out the game, retiring 16 of the Rays’ last 17 batters. Relievers Daniel Espino, Erik Sabrowski, Hunter Gaddis and Cade Smith combined to allow just one baserunner over the final four innings. Smith struck out Yandy Díaz in a prolonged eighth-inning at-bat and subsequently retired the Rays in order during the ninth.
Tampa Bay’s offense was largely stifled, with only a two-run triple by Chandler Simpson in the fourth inning and an RBI double by Nathaniel Lowe in the second providing scoring. The Rays’ lineup was struck out 13 times in the game, continuing a trend that saw them whiff 14 times over the first two games of the series.
The Guardians, meanwhile, extended a strong playoff run that has seen them win five of six games since trailing the Chicago White Sox 2-0 in the AL Division Series. Manager Stephen Vogt praised Halpin’s ability to perform under pressure, noting that the rookie has been a key contributor throughout the season despite moving between roles on the roster.
Game 4 is scheduled for Friday in Cleveland, though rain is expected, which could affect the start time. The best-of-seven series continues with the Guardians holding a 2-1 advantage over the Rays.