Gavin Williams Named Guardians Starter for ALCS Game 3 vs. Rays

Gavin Williams will start Game 3 for Cleveland on Thursday after throwing 210 pitches across three appearances in the ALDS.

Gavin Williams will start Game 3 of the American League Championship Series for the Cleveland Guardians against the Tampa Bay Rays on Thursday. The 27-year-old right-hander enters the start having thrown 210 pitches over a six-day span during the AL Division Series against the Chicago White Sox. During that series, Williams logged 11⅔ innings, including a 12-strikeout performance over 5⅔ innings in Game 5 and an 18-pitch relief appearance in Game 4 on two days' rest. Williams led the American League with 248 strikeouts in 184⅓ innings during the regular season.

Major League Baseball moved the Game 3 start time from 6 p.m. to 1 p.m. ET due to forecasted rain in Northeast Ohio. The daytime start aligns with Williams' regular-season splits, where he posted a 2.42 ERA in 13 day starts compared to a 4.82 ERA in 19 night outings. Guardians president of baseball operations Chris Antonetti confirmed the decision after Williams completed a bullpen session in Tampa Bay on Tuesday.

Griffin Jax will make his first career postseason start for the Rays opposite Williams. The 31-year-old right-hander has not pitched since a two-inning relief appearance in Game 3 of the ALDS against the New York Yankees, where he allowed one run and struck out four. Jax, who transitioned from the bullpen to the rotation in April, finished the season with a 3.14 ERA in 23 starts. His last start occurred on September 26, an outing that lasted three scoreless innings before he was struck by a line drive.