CLEVELAND — Petey Halpin reacted to the most important hit of his young career by flipping his bat high into the sky. The rest of the Cleveland Guardians saved their wildest celebrations for the postgame.
Halpin’s go-ahead, two-run homer in the fifth inning off Griffin Jax was the difference in Game 3 of the American League Championship Series, giving Cleveland a 3-2 victory over the Tampa Bay Rays on Thursday afternoon.
The Guardians now lead the best-of-seven series 2-1. With the next two games at home, they could wrap up the pennant and book a trip to the World Series without a return to Florida.
Halpin’s first postseason home run traveled 385 feet over the fence in right, scoring Patrick Bailey to give the Guardians a 3-2 advantage. It was the first homer allowed by Jax since Sept. 9, prompting Halpin to send his bat comically airborne.
“I thought I got more of it, I guess, and maybe I was a little tense, so I kind of threw it,” Halpin said of the bat flip that ignited the non-sellout crowd of 30,101. “But it’s only got to go a little bit over the wall, so that was cool.”
After Halpin gave AL Central champion Cleveland the lead, its pitching staff took over. Staff ace Gavin Williams and four relievers combined on a three-hitter, striking out 13 to raise their total to 102, an MLB record through eight postseason games.
Williams (2-0) struck out nine over five innings, allowing two runs on two hits and a walk. The right-hander leads all postseason pitchers with 33 strikeouts in just 16 2/3 innings over four appearances.
“I keep telling myself, ‘Don’t let the moment get too big,’” Williams said. “I’ve just got to keep the same routine and keep doing the same thing and I’ll be good.
“Everybody here is just gritty. That’s the big thing. And knowing what you need to do in the right situations.”
Cade Smith pitched a perfect final 1 1/3 innings for his second save of the series. Daniel Espino, Erik Sabrowski and Hunter Gaddis also saw action as Cleveland began a three-game homestand in the series.
Jax (0-1) worked four-plus innings, giving up three runs on five hits. The right-hander struck out two and walked a pair, but was left lamenting his lack of control on the sinker that Halpin sent over the fence.
“He does a good job handling off-speed, so it was the right pitch,” Jax said. “Just the wrong location.”
Tampa Bay took a 2-1 lead in the fourth on Chandler Simpson’s two-run triple to right. Yandy Diaz and Victor Mesa Jr. scored on the hit that landed just inside the foul line, making Simpson 3-for-6 in his career against Williams.
“It was a real good fastball, but I was ready for that,” Simpson said. “I got a good pitch that I got the barrel on. The fact that we were down at the time, it gave us a lot of momentum.”
The Rays’ three hits were their fewest in an ALCS game in three appearances. Their 2-1 series deficit is the first time they have trailed in the round after three games.
Williams, who carried a no-hitter into the sixth in Game 5 of the AL Division Series against the Chicago White Sox, retired the first nine batters before Diaz doubled leading off the fourth.
“Look, we’re not a team that strikes out a lot, but I think our swings have actually been pretty good,” Diaz said through a translator. “We just need to put the ball in play.”
Nathaniel Lowe doubled in the second, driving in Jo Adell to put Cleveland up 1-0. Adell had been called out on strikes by umpire Bill Miller, but challenged it and drew a walk.
Diaz appeared in his franchise postseason-record 31st game for the Rays.
Jax, an Air Force Reserve captain, became the first pitcher to graduate from a United States service academy and start a playoff game.
–Brian Dulik, Field Level Media
