Halpin's go-ahead homer flips Game 3 as Guardians beat Rays 3-2 for 2-1 AL Championship Series lead

CLEVELAND — In a season where Cleveland rookies helped propel to the Guardians to their third straight AL Central title, it was the team's emotional spark plug that powered the Guardians to a pivotal victory in Game 3 of the AL Championship Series.

Petey Halpin hit a go-ahead, two-run homer in the fifth inning and followed with a majestic bat flip as the Guardians beat the Tampa Bay Rays 3-2 Thursday for a 2-1 lead in the best-of-seven series.

"It's the second time he's kind of picked us up in a big spot this year. And a really fun moment for him, great swing," Cleveland manager Stephen Vogt said.

Halpin watched the ball clear the wall in right-center and then launched his bat over his head and into the sky before rounding the bases. The bat might have gone higher than the 25-degree launch angle on his homer.

"I definitely threw it high. I think just the moment and that being for sure the biggest moment of my career, just the energy and the excitement, just kind of let it go," Halpin said.

The home run and the bat flip energized Cleveland's dugout and the 30,101 fans in attendance at Progressive Field. Even though the game wasn't sold out, it was a strong crowd after the start time was moved up five hours on Wednesday due to the threat of rain.

"That was a nasty one. Didn't even move either. I feel like he knew that the wind was blowing in and it still got out," outfielder Steven Kwan said. "So the bat flip that he did was just ignorant, but in a good way. That was awesome."

Gavin Williams struck out nine over five innings. José Ramírez had two hits and Nathaniel Lowe added an RBI double in the second inning for the Guardians, who have won five of their last six playoff games since trailing the Chicago White Sox 2-0 in their AL Division Series.

"When anyone does their job and gets the job done and puts on us in a position to win, everyone on the team's juiced. It's not about me or that home run, but it's just the fact that we're winning and we keep rolling," Halpin said.

Chandler Simpson had a two-run triple in the fourth inning for Tampa Bay, which was held to three hits and struck out 13 times.

Game 4 is scheduled for Friday, though rain is forecast.

Patrick Bailey started the fifth with a chop that Rays starting pitcher Griffin Jax was unable to cleanly field. Five pitches later, Halpin connected on a elevated 95.9 mph sinker on a 2-2 count and drove it 385 feet into the stands in right-center for a 3-2 lead.

It was Halpin's first postseason home run and only the fifth overall of his two year big league career. It was the first time Jax allowed a homer since Sept. 9, a span of five appearances.

"I knew I hit it good. I thought I got more of it, I guess," Halpin said. "I knew that he used a sinker in a few times to lefties before, kind of as a strikeout pitch. I was on a hard timing trying to get the head out and it all worked out. He left it over the plate a little bit and I was able to make a good swing."

Rays manager Kevin Cash said Jax wouldn't have been able to make a play on Bailey's chop, especially with the jump Bailey got leaving the batter's box. The sinker to Halpin leaked over the plate.

"He does a good job handling off-speed, so it was the right pitch. Just the wrong location," Jax said.

Halpin got his first postseason start in Game 5 of the ALDS and had two doubles. He is 4 for 11 with a home run and two RBIs in the past four games.

The 24-year old outfielder also had a three-run homer on Sept. 16 against the White Sox, which put the Guardians atop the AL Central.

"He's ready for whatever we ask him to do. He got called up when everybody got hurt, and he played an everyday role for us for a while. And then it kind of turned into a defensive replacement. And then kind of filling in for injured guys," Vogt said. "I don't feel like any moment ever gets too big for him. And so it's really fun when you see somebody like that step up for their teammates."

Williams allowed two runs in five innings with one walk. He is 2-0 with a 2.16 ERA and 33 strikeouts over 16 2/3 innings in four postseason games this season, including three starts.

Cleveland retired 16 of the Rays' last 17 batters. Daniel Espino, Erik Sabrowski, Hunter Gaddis and Cade Smith allowed only one baserunner the final four innings.

Smith stranded a runner at third in the eighth when he struck out Yandy Díaz in a 10-pitch at-bat, then retired the Rays in order in the ninth.

Other than Simpson's triple, it was another quiet day for the Rays' offense Williams didn't allow a baserunner and struck out five his time through the order.

Tampa Bay batters were retired in order in seven innings, and Junior Caminero had four strikeouts. Rays batters whiffed 13 times after combining for 14 in the first two games.

It is the first time the Rays trailed 2-1 in three ALCS appearances.

"Two runs on two hits. You got to be perfect to win games like that," Cash said.

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