The Cleveland Guardians have Petey Halpin to thank for their series victory over the Chicago White Sox.
Every memorable postseason push has at least one signature moment from a player that isn’t necessarily high on anyone’s radar.
That’s exactly what the Cleveland Guardians got on Wednesday afternoon as one of the most unlikely heroes emerged for the team and ultimately won the game with a single swing of the bat, helping them win the critical series against the Chicago White Sox.
In the bottom of the sixth inning, Petey Halpin stepped to the plate with runners on first and second base with two outs.
The contact-oriented outfielder already had one hit on the day, and Cleveland’s best-case scenario was to, hopefully, see Halpin put the ball in play, potentially scoring one run to tie the game.
Instead, Halpin smacked a no-doubt three-run blast over the right field wall, which gave the Guardians a two-run lead that they never looked back from.
This home run was shocking for several reasons.
First, Halpin has never been known for his power. He has an average exit velocity of 85.8 mph in 166 at-bats this season, which ranks well below the league average. This homer was only Halpin’s fourth of the year.
The second reason this home run was such a shock is that it came off a southpaw. Heading into this at-bat, Halpin had only two hits in 43 plate appearances this season.
In fact, no one would have batted an eye if manager Stephen Vogt had pinch-hit for Halpin, given the matchup. It’s a good thing he didn’t.
Sep 16, 2026; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Guardians center fielder Petey Halpin (0) runs the bases after hitting a three-run home run off Chicago White Sox pitcher Sean Newcomb (15) during the sixth inning at Progressive Field. Mandatory Credit: David Dermer-Imagn ImagesIt’s no secret that Halpin hasn’t been an everyday player for the Guardians this season, and his primary role has been as a late-game defensive sub.
That doesn’t mean Halpin isn’t preparing himself for the big moments, though. It’s something he thinks about every day.
“It’s awesome to come though, but it takes a lot of work, the day-to-day, and behind the scenes when you're not playing every day, and feeding off the guys, trying to do whatever I can to, like, stay ready, stay on, fast, stay on lefties, stay on things that I need to work on,” explained Halpin
“Knowing that, at some point, I'm gonna be called upon in a big at-bat, and I'm, can I trust myself and trust the work that I've done.”
Thanks to Halpin, the Guardians are back to first place in the division. Does this unlikely hero have any more big moments up his sleeve before the end of the season?
