CLEVELAND — Petey Halpin picked an excellent time for his first home run of the postseason.
With the Cleveland Guardians trailing Tampa Bay by a run in the fifth inning Thursday afternoon, Halpin launched a two-run homer to right-center field at Progressive Field, giving Cleveland a 3-2 victory and a 2-1 lead in the American League Championship Series.
The decisive swing backed another impressive postseason outing from Gavin Williams, who struck out nine over five innings before Cleveland's bullpen shut down the Rays the rest of the way.
Williams was sharp from the beginning, retiring the first nine Tampa Bay hitters in order and striking out five of them. The right-hander carried that momentum into the fourth inning, when the Rays finally broke through.
Cleveland had taken a 1-0 lead in the second when Jo Adell drew a leadoff walk and Nathaniel Lowe followed with an RBI double to right field. It was Lowe's second double of the postseason and gave Williams an early advantage.
Tampa Bay answered in the fourth after Yandy Díaz led off with a double. Williams struck out Jonathan Aranda and Junior Caminero, but a two-out walk to Victor Mesa Jr. extended the inning.
Chandler Simpson made Cleveland pay, driving a two-run triple into right field that scored Díaz and Mesa to put the Rays ahead, 2-1.
Williams recovered by retiring Tampa Bay in order in the fifth, recording his ninth strikeout when he caught Taylor Walls swinging.
The Guardians wasted little time getting their starter back in front.
Patrick Bailey opened the bottom of the fifth with an infield single that deflected off pitcher Griffin Jax. Halpin followed by driving a pitch over the wall in right-center field, bringing the Progressive Field crowd to its feet and putting Cleveland ahead for good.
The home run was Halpin's first of the postseason and provided the Guardians with all the offense they would need.
Cleveland turned to Daniel Espino in the sixth, and the right-hander retired the Rays in order, striking out Caminero to end the inning. Erik Sabrowski followed with a perfect seventh, keeping Tampa Bay from mounting a response.
The Rays made one final serious threat in the eighth when Richie Palacios doubled with one out against Hunter Gaddis. Pinch-runner Jorge Mateo advanced to third on a groundout, bringing Díaz to the plate with the tying run just 90 feet away.
Manager Stephen Vogt turned to Cade Smith, who struck out Díaz swinging to preserve the one-run lead.
Smith returned for the ninth and made quick work of Tampa Bay, retiring Aranda on a fly ball, striking out Caminero, and getting Mesa to fly out to Steven Kwan in foul territory to end the game.
The Cleveland bullpen combined for four scoreless innings, allowing just one hit while striking out three. Tampa Bay managed only three hits against Cleveland's pitching staff all afternoon.
The Guardians finished with six hits, including two singles from José Ramírez, but Halpin's two-run blast proved to be the difference.
After splitting the first two games in St. Petersburg, Cleveland has reclaimed the series advantage and moved within two victories of its first World Series appearance since 2016.
Williams' continued postseason success, combined with another strong performance from the bullpen, has given the Guardians an opportunity to take control of the series at home.
What's Next
Cleveland will have another opportunity to move within one victory of the American League pennant before the series continues Saturday with Game 5, also at Progressive Field.
