The relievers shut down the Rays behind the pitching staff, Pete Halpin's epic bat flip to win Game 3 to take the series lead.
After weather pushed the start of Game 3 to 1:00 p.m., Petey Halpin's 385-foot two-run homer put the Cleveland guards past the Tampa Bay Rays. ET.
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Game 3 was moved up from 6 p.m. ET to 1 p.m. ET due to weather, but the Tampa Bay Rays offense didn't get the memo.
The offense was muted in the team's 3-2 loss to Cleveland Gardens on Thursday at Progressive Field. The Rays scored just two runs on three hits as the pitching staff shut down their keepers. In seven of nine innings, the Rays went down in order.
The 1pm start marked the first LCS game in the Eastern Time Zone since 1988, when the Los Angeles Dodgers and New York Mets played Game 5 of the NLCS at 12:20pm. ET.
The guards' bats hit Griffin Jax first. Joe Adel drew a walk (after successfully overturning a hit called by the automatic batting challenge system), and later drove in a hit when Nathaniel Lowe ripped a ball into right field for a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the second.
Adel was able to score from first after Victor Mesa Jr.'s ball went away in right, while Lowe advanced to second base. Jax was able to capture Lou by recording the next three exits.
Gavin Williams was shut down to start the game, retiring the Rays in order for the first time in the lineup.
Rays first baseman Yandy Diaz broke through, however, and laced a leadoff single into the left-center gap for the team's first baseman of the game. Williams struck out Jonathan Aranda and Junior Camino, but walked Mesa to put two runners on with two outs.
A two-out walk came back to torch Williams. Chandler Simpson hit a line drive down the right-field line, scoring both Diaz and Mesa as Speed advanced to third for a triple to give the Rays a 2-1 lead in the top of the fourth.
Williams was able to strike out Liam Hicks to score Simpson at third to end the frame.
The Rangers responded in the bottom of the fifth inning. Catcher Patrick Bailey hit a weak dribbler for an infield single to lead off the inning, and center fielder Petey Halpin lined a Jacks pitch 385 feet over the right-field wall for a two-run home run to give the Defenders a 3-2 lead.
His bat went almost as far as the ball, as Halpin threw his bat into the Cleveland sky in celebration. After the game, Halpin said he blacked out and said the celebration might have been a little too much.
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Shortstop Bryan Rocchio singled after Halpin's home run, and manager Kevin Cash had seen enough and pulled Jax.
Jax pitched four-plus innings, giving up three runs while walking two batters and striking out two. Tyler Wells pitched the rest of the fifth inning to keep the score at 3-2.
Surprisingly, Nuggets manager Stephen pulled Gavin Williams after just 70 pitches in five innings and brought in Daniel Spino. Williams went five innings, while striking out nine and giving up two runs on two hits.
While it may be surprising to see Williams eliminated, the bullpen was excellent. Spino and Eric Sabrowski made quick work of the Rays' lineup in the sixth and seventh innings. Hunter Gaddis entered the game in the eighth inning and recorded two outs but allowed a double to Richie Palacios.
Palacios advanced to third base on Taylor Walls' groundout, and Vogt turned to his closer, Cade Smith, to face Diaz in a crucial spot in the top of the eighth inning.
After a 10-pitch battle with Diaz, Smith struck out Ray's first baseman to escape the jam. In the ninth inning, Smith faced Jonathan Aranda, Junior Caminero and Mesa, the Nos. 2, 3 and 4 hitters, respectively, and retired them with ease to complete the four-out save. The Guardians' pitching staff retired 16 of the final 17 batters.
Game 4 between the Guardians and Rays is scheduled for Friday, but inclement weather could delay or postpone the game. The first match is scheduled at 18:00. ET.
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