Oct 15, 2026 4:06 PM

The Cleveland Guardians and Tampa Bay Rays will be playing a crucial Game 3 today.

The Cleveland Guardians will be taking on the Tampa Bay Rays today for Game 3 of the American League Championship Series.

The two twos enter this game tied at 1-1 following a two-set set in Tampa Bay. But now the series is shifting over to Progressive Field in Cleveland.

The game was originally supposed to be played at 6 p.m. ET, but it will now be played at 1 p.m. ET due to weather in the area. MLB changed the start time on Wednesday, moving the contest up to ensure that the game could be played.

Cleveland will be turning to right-hander Gavin Williams in this game, with the ace looking to set the tone. Williams has been electric for the Guardians this season and into the playoffs, with the team having full faith in him.

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During the regular season, Williams sported a 3.76 ERA over 32 appearances for Cleveland. The righty gave the Guardians a reliable presence in the starting rotation all year, and he's delivered whenever the team has needed him.

In three postseason appearances this year, Williams has recorded a 1.54 ERA over 11.2 innings, striking out 24 batters. The right-hander has had the punch-out working to his advantage, and he will try to keep it going against Tampa Bay.

Guardians Drop Game 3 Lineup

Ahead of the game, Guardians manager Stephen Vogt revealed how he placed the lineup against the Rays. Here is how the order looks:

Leading off will be outfielder Steven Kwan, playing in left field. Behind him is Jose Ramirez, who will play at third base.

Chase DeLauter will hit third, playing in right field. Jo Adell will bat fourth for the Guardians, taking on the designated hitter role.

Nathaniel Lowe will go fifth, playing at first base. Travis Bazzana will play at second base, hitting sixth in the lineup.

Patrick Bailey will be behind the plate, hitting seventh. In center field, it will be Petey Halpin, who will hit eighth for Cleveland.

And closing it out for the Guardians will be Brayan Rocchio, who will play at shortstop.

The winner of this Game 3 will take a major advantage over the other, especially if Cleveland can come out on top. The Guardians have already taken home-field advantage away from the Rays, giving them a chance to close this series out in front of their fans.

But the Rays were the best team in the AL for a reason, and the series is now a best-of-five between the two teams. Both sides understand what is at stake here, with the winner of this series getting to play in the World Series.

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