Petey Halpin’s two-run homer lifts Guardians past Rays for 2-1 ALCS lead

Halpin’s first playoff homer puts Cleveland aheadWilliams strikes out nine as Guardians win 3-2Cleveland bullpen retires 11 of final 12 Rays battersPetey 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 of the American League Championship Series on Thursday to take a 2-1 lead.Game 4 of the best-of-seven series is scheduled for Friday, though rain is forecast. Continue reading…

Petey Halpin’s fifth-inning blast and a dominant bullpen performance lifted Cleveland to a 3-2 win over Tampa Bay and a 2-1 ALCS series lead 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 of the American League Championship Series on Thursday to take a 2-1 lead. Game 4 of the best-of-seven series is scheduled for Friday, though rain is forecast. José Ramírez had two hits and Nathaniel Lowe added an RBI for the Guardians, who have won five of their last six playoff games since falling 2-0 behind the Chicago White Sox in their AL Division Series.

Williams allowed two runs over five innings while walking one. He is 2-0 with a 2.16 ERA and 33 strikeouts over 16 and two-thirds innings innings in four postseason appearances this year, including three starts. Cleveland retired 16 of the Rays’ final 17 batters. Daniel Espino, Erik Sabrowski, Hunter Gaddis and Cade Smith combined to allow just one baserunner over the final four innings. Smith stranded a runner