Gavin Williams had barely any time to settle himself when the Guardians called for him Thursday night. The big right-hander came jogging in from the bullpen with Cleveland’s season still hanging in the balance, and he later admitted he might have preferred a little more time on the trip to the mound.
There was no time for it. Williams got the final three outs of Cleveland’s 9-5 Game 4 victory over the White Sox, sending the American League Division Series back to Progressive Field for a winner-take-all Game 5 on Saturday night. He threw 18 pitches, surrendered one hit and struck out one after taking over for Cade Smith in the ninth inning.
It marked Williams’ first professional relief outing, an unexpected assignment for a pitcher who had started Cleveland’s 4-3 loss in Game 2 on Monday and had been lined up for a Game 5 start on regular rest. He arrived at the park available if needed, though the original idea was for him to get his usual between-starts bullpen work during the game and remain on schedule for Saturday.
“I didn’t really think so, but I wanted it,” Williams said of the possibility of entering from the bullpen. “That’s the whole idea, just telling myself that I want the ball.”
The Guardians’ pitching plan had been shredded long before the ninth. Parker Messick lasted only 2 1/3 innings and 65 pitches. Shawn Armstrong covered 1 2/3 scoreless frames, then Tanner Bibee, Tim Herrin and Erik Sabrowski were needed during a fifth inning in which Chicago moved ahead 4-3. Bibee and Herrin each recorded one out, Sabrowski worked a full inning, and Hunter Gaddis followed with 1 1/3 innings.
Cleveland answered with six runs in the sixth to take control, 9-4, but the bullpen mileage kept adding up. Manager Stephen Vogt summoned Smith for the eighth with the season on the line. Smith posted a clean inning, then opened the ninth by allowing Miguel Vargas’ solo homer and walking Munetaka Murakami. His pitch count had reached 31, following his two-inning outing the previous day.
That was the point at which Vogt made the move. Williams was one of the club’s available choices alongside Daniel Espino, Matt Festa and Joey Cantillo, but he also represented a trusted arm capable of taking a clean inning’s worth of work. Vogt did not want Williams’ first hitter to come up with the potential tying run already on deck.
Williams allowed a hit after entering, but then retired the next three White Sox hitters and ended the night.
“I didn’t even know anybody was warming up, so I thought it was Cade’s game to finish out,” Steven Kwan said. “When Vogt came out, I was really confused, and I see big old Gav jogging over.”
Smith was grateful to see Williams arrive. “I appreciate him, for sure, to come in and bail me out like that,” the closer said.
Saturday’s starter remains a live question
Williams’ appearance was treated in part as a high-intensity version of his normal bullpen session, but October does not always allow a club to follow its cleanest plan. The Guardians will now determine whether the 18-pitch relief stint changes his Game 5 role.
“Obviously, the script tonight got ripped up in the third inning,” Vogt said. “When you have to go to the bullpen early, you’ve got to get creative in a win-or-go-home game.”
Every Cleveland starter has worked during the past two games: Messick, Williams, Bibee, Cantillo and Foster Griffin, who was unavailable Thursday. That leaves Vogt with a thin margin for error as the club tries to advance. Williams made clear he is prepared for whatever assignment comes.
“I’m good to go,” Williams said. “Whatever they need me to do, I’ll do it. If I’ve got to start, I’ll start. If I come out of the ‘pen, I’ll come out of the ‘pen. It doesn’t matter. I’ll do anything.”
Smith is also expected to be available despite the recent workload, and the rest of the bullpen has been stretched by the last two games. Cleveland can worry about the Rays and a potential American League Championship Series opener Monday only if it survives Saturday first.
“We’ll worry about that on Monday, if we’re fortunate to get there,” Vogt said. “This is what playoff baseball is about. It’s about all hands on deck.”
