Petey Halpin delivered the biggest hit of his career on Thursday afternoon, launching a go-ahead two-run homer that lifted the Cleveland Guardians past the Tampa Bay Rays 3-2 in Game 3 of the American League Championship Series at Progressive Field. The win, paired with a dominant pitching performance from Gavin Williams, put Cleveland ahead 2-1 in the best-of-seven series.
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 on Thursday to take a 2-1 lead in the AL Championship Series. The victory kept alive Cleveland's bid for its first pennant since 2016.
Halpin's Go-Ahead Blast Flips the Game
With the Rays leading 2-1 in the fifth inning, Halpin stepped in against Tampa Bay reliever Griffin Jax. Halpin connected on an 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. It was the first time Jax had allowed a homer since Sept. 9, a span of five appearances.
Halpin didn't hold back his emotions once he connected. Halpin knew he got it, admired it, and flipped his bat accordingly. Asked afterward what was going through his mind during the at-bat, he kept it simple: "Just put the ball in play, get the next guy up... We got a competitive lineup."
Who Is Petey Halpin?
A Glove-First Center Fielder Finds His Power
Halpin isn't known as a slugger. Defense-first centerfielder Petey Halpin hit the game-winning home run, and after hitting the fourth fewest home runs in baseball during the regular season, the Guardians again leaned on the long ball in their Game 3 win. It was Halpin's first postseason home run and only the fifth overall of his two-year big league career.
Backstory of a Late-Round Pick
Halpin's path to this moment traces back to an unusual draft class. When most of the baseball industry ignored high school players during a truncated 2020 draft conducted amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the Guardians opted to use one of their five picks on a slight high schooler named Petey Halpin. Six years later, that gamble produced a signature October moment for an organization built on patience and player development, a theme that has defined the Cleveland Guardians throughout this postseason run.
How the Rest of the Game Unfolded
Williams and the Bullpen Slam the Door
Cleveland starter Gavin Williams set the tone on the mound. Gavin Williams struck out nine over five innings, allowing two runs, as part of the Guardians' 3-2 win on Thursday afternoon. Williams allowed two runs in five innings with one walk and is now 2-0 with a 2.16 ERA and 33 strikeouts over 16 ⅔ innings in four postseason games this year, including three starts.
The bullpen was nearly flawless from there. Cleveland retired 16 of the Rays' last 17 batters, as Daniel Espino, Erik Sabrowski, Hunter Gaddis and Cade Smith allowed only one baserunner in the final four innings. Closer Cade Smith finished the job in dramatic fashion. In the final score, Guardians 3, Rays 2, Cade Smith went 1-2-3 against the 2-3-4 hitters in the ninth inning to close out Cleveland's win.
Tampa Bay's Response Falls Short
The Rays had briefly taken the lead before Halpin's homer. Two innings earlier, Chandler Simpson gave the Rays a 2-1 lead with a two-out, two-strike, two-run triple into the right field corner. Cleveland had opened the scoring earlier in the game when the Guardians got on the board in the second inning when Nathaniel Lowe hit an RBI double to score Jo Adell. But Tampa Bay's offense went cold late, as Rays batters were retired in order in seven innings, with Junior Caminero striking out four times and Tampa Bay whiffing 13 times overall after combining for just 14 strikeouts in the first two games.
What's Next in the ALCS
Cleveland now sits one game away from a commanding series lead and continues a pattern of resilience that has defined its October. The Guardians have now won five of their last six playoff games since facing a 2-0 ALDS deficit, a comeback that began against the Chicago White Sox and carried into this series, a run detailed in SportVoz's coverage of the Guardians' ALDS comeback and the earlier White Sox-Guardians series opener.
Game 4 is set for Friday, though the forecast could complicate plans. Game 4 in the best-of-seven matchup is scheduled for Friday, though rain is forecast. A Cleveland win would push the Guardians to the brink of their first pennant since 2016, continuing one of the more surprising runs of this year's MLB Playoffs.