Cleveland Guardians’ Petey Halpin celebrates after hitting a two-run home run during the fifth inning in Game 3 against the Tampa Bay Rays in baseball’s American League Championship Series in Cleveland, Thursday, Oct. 15, 2026. (AP Photo/Phil Long)
Sports Talk Fla – Petey Halpin‘s 2-run homer in the fifth inning gave the Guardians a 3-2 lead and their bullpen silenced the Tampa Bay Rays bats in taking a two games to one lead in the ALCS with a 3-2 victory.
Gavin Williams was credited with the win working five innings allowing two earned runs on two hits while striking out nine and walking one. The Guardians bullpen worked the final four innings allowing just one hit in four innings. Daniel Espino worked the sixth, Erik Sabrowski the seventh, Hunter Gaddis got two outs in the eighth, and Cade Smith picked up the save recording the final four outs.
Griffin Jax started for the Rays and worked four plus innings allowing three runs on five hits while striking out two and walking two. The Rays turned to Tyler Wells to work the fifth and sixth innings and Steven Matz to work the seventh and eighth.
For the first time in the postseason the Rays did not score the first run of the game. In the bottom of the second inning Nathaniel Lowe doubled in Jo Adell to give the Guardians the 1-0 lead. It was an unusual misplay in right by Victor Mesa Jr. as he didn’t play the ball off the wall which allowed Adell to score from first.
The Rays flipped the lead in the fourth inning on a two out triple off the bat of Chandler Simpson that scored both Yandy Diaz and Victor Mesa Jr. to give the Rays the 2-1 lead.
After delivering a quite shutdown inning in the fourth, Griffin Jax allowed a leadoff single to Patrick Bailey in the bottom of the fifth and Petey Halpin delivered a 2-run homer to put the Guardians on top 3-2. The Bailey single was a high chopper that Jax attempted to field, but he probably should have let the charging Taylor Walls field.
That was all the offense the Guardians needed as Daniel Espino, Erik Sabrowski, Hunter Gaddis, and Cade Smith allowed just one hit over the final four innings. Cleveland pitchers retired 16 of the final 17 batters they faced.
The Rays did have an opportunity to tie the game in the top of the eighth as Richie Palacios doubled and moved to third on a groundout. Yandy Diaz battled Cade Smith for 10 pitches before striking out.
Up Next:
The Guardians and Rays will continue the ALCS playing Game 4 on Friday evening at 6:00 p.m. EST. There is rain in the forecast. If the game should be rained out, it is expected that the Rays and Guardians would play Saturday and Sunday in Cleveland while the games if necessary in St. Petersburg would remain on Monday and Tuesday. Neither team has announced a starter; however, the Rays are expected to turn the ball over to Nick Martinez.
