Guardians shut down Rays behind pitching staff, epic Petey Halpin bat-flip for Game 3 win to take series lead
The Cleveland Guardians beat the Tampa Bay Rays 3-2 in Game 3, taking the lead in the series. Cleveland’s pitching staff stifled Tampa Bay’s offence for most of the game, while Petey Halpin’s two-run home run put the Guardians ahead in the fifth inning.
The game was brought forward from 6pm to 1pm ET because of weather, making it the earliest Eastern time zone LCS start since 1988. The Rays managed three hits and scored twice in the fourth; Cleveland’s Gavin Williams struck out nine over five innings, and Cade Smith recorded a four-out save as the Guardians retired 16 of the final 17 batters. Game 4 was scheduled for Friday, with further weather potentially affecting play.
- Cleveland beat Tampa Bay 3-2 to take the series lead.
- Petey Halpin’s two-run homer gave the Guardians the lead.
- Cleveland’s pitchers retired 16 of the Rays’ last 17 batters.
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The Cleveland Guardians and Tampa Bay Rays are Major League Baseball teams competing in the American League Championship Series, a best-of-seven play-off to decide which team reaches the World Series. A team needs four wins to take the series.
The series is a meeting between clubs from the same league, with Cleveland based in Ohio and Tampa Bay in Florida. Pitchers try to prevent batters from reaching base and scoring, while home runs can bring in runs immediately.
The games are played in autumn, when weather can affect schedules, especially in outdoor stadiums. A change to a game time can matter to players, broadcasters and fans planning to watch.
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