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Star Beacon, Ashtabula, Ohio
A pitching ace and unlikely power source
- Story byStar Beacon, Ashtabula, Ohio
- A pitching ace and unlikely power source
The Cleveland Guardians played their first game at home since a dramatic 2-0 Game 5 win over the Chicago White Sox in the American League Division Series.
Thursday's 3-2 win over the Tampa Bay Rays in Game 3 of the AL Championship Series wasn't as dramatic, but it was close.
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With a 2-1 series lead, Cleveland has two more chances at Progressive Field to put Tampa Bay away.
But it's the playoffs, and anyone who follows sports knows what happens one day may not the next day or the next day and so on.
Here are three observations from Thursday's game:
GUARDIANS BOUNCE BACK
To win the first game 7-3 Monday in Tampa was huge, especially after the way it started when the Rays took an early 2-0 lead. The victory gave Cleveland confidence, especially coming off a grueling five game series against the Chicago White Sox, in which they won two road games to stave off elimination.
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The Rays won the second game 3-1, but earning a split in Florida was important.
All the games are important at this point, but to come back and defeat Tampa 3-2 in Game 3 was once against another step forward. That's not to say the Rays won't steal a game or two in Cleveland, but leading in the best of seven is certainly a better position than the alternative.
Pitching, pitching and more pitching
Obviously, a team needs hitting to win, but a good staff is essential to keep winning.
In the last four games, the Guardians have allowed eight runs in going 3-1.
The stalwart is Gavin Williams.
The Guardians ace made his fourth appearance (and third start) in the 2026 postseason in Game 3 of the ALCS.
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He closed Game 4 in Chicago, and two days later started Game 5. With nine strikeouts against the Rays, he moved into third all-time in Cleveland history for postseason strikeouts.
Parker Messick pitched well enough to win Game 2.
Then, there's the bullpen.
That's the area manager Stephen Vogt has mixed and matched his way through the playoffs.
Daniel Espino, Erik Sabrowski, Tim Herrin, Hunter Gaddis and of course, Cade Smith, have shined at different stages of the postseason.
An unlikely game-winning homer?
The Guardians haven't scored a ton of runs in the last four contests, but have put up enough.
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Jose Ramirez hit the game-winning two-run home run in Game 5.
On Thursday, Petey Halpin's first career postseason homer over the right-field fence was good enough for the game-winning two runs.
Petey Halpin? Not exactly the person you would expect to come through with a long ball, but in the postseason, you never know who is going to come up big. Remember Jhonkensy Noel and David Fry with huge homers in Cleveland's lone ALCS win over the Yankees two years ago.
It's not that Halpin can't go deep, he had four homers in the regular season.
Halpin slugged a key home run against the White Sox in mid-September to give the Guardians a series win.
But when you think of Cleveland sluggers, I'm not sure Petey Halpin is high on the list.
Anything is possible in October.
