Petey Halpin hits go-ahead homer as Guardians beat Rays 3-2
Web StoryWatch this story in 15 seconds →Key takeaways
- Petey Halpin hit a two-run homer in the fifth inning. It gave Cleveland a 3-2 lead.
- The Guardians beat the Rays 3-2 in ALCS Game 3. They lead the series 2-1.
- Game 4 is set for Friday at Progressive Field. Rain is in the forecast.
Petey Halpin changed Game 3 with one swing. The rookie hit a two-run homer in the fifth inning. The Cleveland Guardians beat the Tampa Bay Rays 3-2 on Thursday.
The win gave Cleveland a 2-1 lead in the series.
The game took place at Progressive Field in Cleveland. The start moved from 6 PM to 1 PM The change came due to a threat of bad weather. The game was still played in sunshine.
A crowd of 30,101 fans watched the win.
Halpin is 24 years old. He is a rookie center fielder for Cleveland. He stood 5 feet 11 inches tall and weighed 200 pounds.
He entered the playoffs as one of the least known Guardians regulars. On Thursday, he owned the biggest moment of the game.
What happened
Cleveland scored first in the second inning. Jo Adell drew a walk to reach base. The walk came after a challenge.
Adell had first been called out on strikes. The call was then changed to a walk. Nathaniel Lowe doubled next.
His hit drove Adell home. Cleveland led 1-0.
Tampa Bay took the lead in the fourth inning. Yandy Diaz doubled to start the inning. Chandler Simpson then hit a two-run triple.
His hit scored Diaz and Victor Mesa The Rays led 2-1. The triple landed just inside the foul line in right field.
Cleveland answered fast in the fifth inning. Patrick Bailey started the inning with a single. Halpin then stepped to the plate.
The count ran to two balls and two strikes. Rays starter Griffin Jax threw a sinker. A sinker is a fast pitch that drops as it nears the plate.
Halpin crushed the pitch 385 feet to right field. The ball cleared the fence for a two-run homer. Cleveland led 3-2.
Halpin knew the ball was gone right away. He watched its flight for a half second. He then flipped his bat high into the sky.
The crowd at Progressive Field roared. The homer was his first in the playoffs. He had hit just four homers in his whole major league career.
The bat flip matched the size of the moment.
Halpin later said the moment felt like a blur. He told MLB reporters that he was not sure what he was doing on the flip. He said it was fun.
The swing gave Cleveland a lead it never gave back.
Cleveland's pitching did the rest. Starter Gavin Williams threw five innings. He struck out nine batters.
He gave up two runs on two hits and one walk. He retired the first nine Rays batters in order. His strong start set the tone for the day.
The bullpen then threw four shutout innings. Daniel Espino, Erik Sabrowski, and Hunter Gaddis bridged the gap. Closer Cade Smith closed the game.
Smith got the final four outs for his second save of the series. He struck out Diaz in the eighth inning. The tying run stood on third base at the time.
The at-bat lasted ten pitches. Smith then pitched a clean ninth inning.
Cleveland retired 16 of the last 17 Tampa Bay batters. The Rays were retired in order in seven innings. Junior Caminero struck out four times.
Tampa Bay struck out 13 times in total. The Rays had struck out only 14 times in the first two games combined.
Jax took the loss for Tampa Bay. He worked four-plus innings. He gave up three runs on five hits.
He struck out two batters and walked two. It was the first homer he had allowed since September 9. Tyler Wells then threw two scoreless innings in relief.
Jax carried a rare story into the start. He is an Air Force Reserve captain. He became the first pitcher from a United States military academy to start a playoff game.
Reuters reported the milestone.
Jose Ramirez had two hits for Cleveland. Lowe added one run batted in. The Guardians have now won five of their last six playoff games.
They trailed the Chicago White Sox 2-0 in the last round. They fought back to win that series too.
Cleveland won the series opener 7-3. The Guardians beat the Rays 7-3 in Game 1 at home. Tampa Bay then tied the series.
The Rays tied the series in Game 2 on the road. Game 3 put Cleveland back in front.
Why it matters
ALCS means American League Championship Series. It is one step from the World Series. The winner of the ALCS plays the winner of the NLCS.
The NLCS is the National League Championship Series. The World Series is the final round of the baseball season.
The ALCS is a best-of-seven series. The first team to win four games moves on. Cleveland now needs two more wins.
Tampa Bay needs three more wins. Every game from here carries huge weight.
The win put Cleveland within two wins of the World Series. It is the first time since 2016 that the club has stood this close. The Cleveland report noted the milestone.
The 2016 team reached the World Series. This team now has a real chance to do the same.
Halpin made the night special for one more reason. He was not the star of this team. He splits time in left field with Angel Martinez.
He entered the playoffs with little fanfare. Fanfare means loud public praise. Halpin had none of it.
He earned it with one swing.
The pitching also told a clear story. Williams has now struck out 33 batters this postseason. He has done it in just 16 and two-thirds innings.
The bullpen gave up almost nothing late. Four relievers allowed just one base runner in the final four innings. That depth can win a long series.
The Rays still have life in the series. They need to win three of the next four games. They also need to fix their bats.
They scored just two runs in Game 3. They struck out 13 times. Their hitters must make more contact in Game 4.
The series has swung with each game so far. Cleveland won big in Game 1. Tampa Bay won a close one in Game 2.
Cleveland won a close one in Game 3. The ALCS preview had warned that pitching would decide this series. Game 3 proved that point again.
What happens next
Game 4 is set for Friday at Progressive Field. The first pitch is set for 6 PM Eastern Time. Rain is in the forecast for Friday.
The teams are making backup plans for bad weather. Game 3 had already moved to an early start for the same reason.
The teams had not named starting pitchers at the time of writing, according to the Cleveland report. Both sides will want a strong start. A win for Cleveland would give it a 3-1 lead.
A win for Tampa Bay would tie the series at 2-2.
Cleveland will want to keep its bullpen fresh. The relievers have done heavy work all series. A long start in Game 4 would help a lot.
Tampa Bay will want early runs. Early runs would take pressure off its own pitching staff.
The fans in Cleveland will bring loud support again. The home crowd roared for Halpin on Thursday. A second straight home win would put the Guardians one win from the World Series.
A loss would hand the momentum back to Tampa Bay.
One swing turned a quiet rookie into a playoff hero. Halpin flipped his bat, and Cleveland flipped the series. The Guardians now lead 2-1 with Game 4 next.
The Rays must answer fast, or their season will slip away.
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