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Guardians take 2-1 ALCS lead

Sports · Heat 1.0 / 10 · 4 shows · 32m airtime

The Cleveland Guardians beat the Tampa Bay Rays 3-2 in Game 3 of the ALCS on October 15, 2026, taking a 2-1 series lead. Petey Halpin hit a two-run homer to put Cleveland ahead, and Cade Smith closed it out. The discussion has moved to pitching: Freddy Peralta has allowed four runs in 38 2/3 innings since September 1, a 0.93 ERA, and Gavin Williams's 12 strikeouts in Game 5 tied Charles Nagy for the most in a Guardians playoff game, with the highest strikeout rate in baseball history among pitchers with more than 10 innings. Perez hears the chance of playing Game 4 in Cleveland is very low, and a Game 7 would mean four straight days.

How 4 podcasts covered it

  1. Baseball Tonight with Buster Olney, 2026-10-15 (29:20 to 34:58)
    Argues cold weather favors the pitchers
    Hosmer and Olney talk weather and the moved-up Game 3 start, with Hosmer arguing cold favors pitchers and telling a Chris Sale story about a swollen hand. The rest is a loose read on Cleveland's lineup, Ramirez's walk and DeLauter's hot bat.
  2. The Pat McAfee Show, 2026-10-15 (43:11 to 45:45)
    Recaps the Game 3 start-time move
    Recaps the Game 3 start-time move from 6 p.m. to 1 p.m. for weather, with DeRosa saying players don't mind and MLB made the common-sense call. Adds day-night splits for Gavin Williams and a short leash for Griffin Jax, but stays inside the series' existing coverage.
  3. The Dan Patrick Show, 2026-10-15 (28:59 to 32:12)
    Adds Peralta's 0.93 ERA since September
    Recaps the Guardians' 3-2 Game 3 win and the series' swing, then turns to Freddy Peralta's September and a report that the Mets would match any offer for Tarik Skubal, read as Scott Boras leverage.
    New angle: Since September 1, Peralta has allowed four runs in 38 2/3 innings, a 0.93 ERA.
  4. The Dan Patrick Show, 2026-10-15 (34:38 to 38:09)
    Adds Williams's record-tying 12 strikeouts
    Runs through Cleveland lore around Game 3: Williams's 12 strikeouts, Ramirez's error that produced three unearned Rays runs, and Ramirez's discount extensions. The strikeout total is put on the record as tied for the franchise playoff record.
    New angle: Gavin Williams's 12 strikeouts in Game 5 tied Charles Nagy for the most in a Guardians playoff game.
  5. PTI, 2026-10-15 (1:26 to 4:12)
    Adds Williams's strikeout rate record
    Recaps Cleveland's Game 3 win and the day-game move, then goes to Gavin Williams: the highest strikeout rate in baseball history among pitchers past 10 postseason innings, and a 1.54 postseason ERA entering the start.
    New angle: Gavin Williams has the highest strikeout rate in baseball history among pitchers with more than 10 innings.
  6. Baseball Tonight with Buster Olney, 2026-10-16 (4:49 to 5:55)
    Names Halpin's homer and Smith's close
    Recaps Game 3 of the ALCS and puts on the record the specifics of how Cleveland took the lead: Petey Halpin's two-run homer and Cade Smith closing it out. The series score is already on the card; the names of the decisive swing and the final out are not.
    New angle: Petey Halpin hit a two-run homer to put Cleveland ahead in Game 3, and Cade Smith closed it out.
  7. Baseball Tonight with Buster Olney, 2026-10-16 (23:48 to 36:34)
    Reports from Cleveland on Game 4 weather odds
    Reports from Progressive Field after Game 3 and adds detail to the Halpin homer and Williams's outing, then goes to the weather: Perez hears the chance of playing Game 4 in Cleveland is very low, and a seven-game series would mean four straight days.
    New angle: Perez hears the chance of playing Game 4 in Cleveland is very low; a Game 7 would mean four straight days.
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