Gavin Williams will start the decisive Game 5 of the American League Division Series against the Chicago White Sox on Saturday in Cleveland, two days after he closed out the Game 4 victory.
The right-hander needed 18 pitches to record three outs and finish the 9-5 road victory on Thursday when the Guardians evened the best-of-five series.
Cleveland manager Stephen Vogt said Friday that Williams recovered fine from the cameo appearance.
“So Gavin is ready to go tomorrow,” Vogt said. “Feels good today. So we will obviously see how he’s doing tomorrow.”
Williams also started Game 2 on Monday when he struck out 11 in five-plus innings. He gave up two runs, four hits and three walks and received a no-decision in Cleveland’s 4-3 loss.
Vogt said Williams will operate under normal conditions and able to pitch as long as necessary.
“I think we’ll be watching the game,” Vogt said. “I think we’ll be monitoring it. But I think, again, it’s a Game 5, win or go home. Gavin wants the ball. We want him to have the ball, and it’s his game.
“And the game will tell us when it’s time to move on, or maybe he takes it the whole way. We don’t know. We gotta get there and find out.”
Williams, 27, went 14-8 during the regular season with a 3.76 ERA and 248 strikeouts in 32 starts.
Right-hander Sean Burke will pitch for Chicago.
Burke, 26, earned the victory in the bulk relief role against Williams in Game 2. He gave up one run, one hit, one walk and struck out six in 5 1/3 innings.
Burke went 11-7 with a 3.34 ERA and 185 strikeouts in 32 appearances (27 starts) in the regular season.
Burke also has his sights on pitching as long as he can on Saturday.
“I empty the tank every single time I’m out there,” Burke said Friday. “This is no different for me. Every single game I go out there, I’m giving 100 percent of everything I have, and I don’t think tomorrow is any different.
“I think that I’ll just embrace this moment. I love moments like these. I love being able to pitch in the big game. And just the fact that the coaching staff and the team trust me to go out there and do my thing tomorrow just means the world to me.”
The White Sox won the first two games of the series in Cleveland before the Guardians returned serve and took two in Chicago.
–Field Level Media
