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

Petey Halpin hit a go-ahead, two-run homer, Gavin Williams struck out nine over five innings, and the Cleveland Guardians beat the Tampa Bay Rays 3-2 in Game 3 Thursday to take a 2-1 lead in the AL Championship Series.

Game 4 in the best-of-seven matchup is scheduled for Friday, though rain is forecast.

José Ramírez had two hits and Nathaniel Lowe added an RBI 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.

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 pitched a 1-2-3 ninth.

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.

Nathaniel Lowe hit an RBI double in the second that bounced off the right-field fence and bounded past Victor Mesa Jr.

Chandler Simpson put the Rays ahead with a two-run triple in the fourth.

Patrick Bailey started the fifth with a chop that pitcher Griffin Jax was unable to cleanly field. Halpin connected on an 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.

Williams didn’t allow a runner and struck out five his first time through the order.

Jax allowed three runs, five hits and two walks in four-plus innings.