Jackson Holliday sits against southpaw on Thursday

Halpin came to bat with the Guardians down 2-1 in the fifth inning and a runner on first. In a 2-2 count, he took a sinker right down the middle and hit it 385 feet to right-center field to put the Guardians on top 3-2. No other runs would cross the plate. Despite being more of a defensive player, Halpin is 4-for-12 this postseason with two RBI and two runs scored.

Simpson drove in the only runs of the day for the Rays with a two-run triple off Gavin Williams in the fourth inning. The Rays only had three hits on the day, but all three of them went for extra bases. Simpson is just 3-for-15 so far this postseason with two runs scored.

It was a tough day for Caminero, who was struck out by Gavin Williams, Daniel Espino, and Cade Smith. The Rays’ third baseman has enjoyed a solid postseason but is just 2-for-11 in the first three games of this series with a 7/1 K/BB ratio. He’ll need to adjust to how the Guardians are pitching him if the Rays have any hope of advancing to the World Series.

Jax struck out two and walked two on the day, but one of those walks came back to hurt him in the second inning when he walked Jo Adell, who then came around to score on a Nathaniel Lowe double. Jax then settled down until the fifth inning, when Patrick Bailey reached on an infield single and then Petey Halpin crushed a go-ahead two-run home run. Jax would then allow a single ot Brayan Rocchio before his day was done. There is a chance that he could be used out of the bullpen in Game 6 or 7 if the series gets that far.

Williams was cruising early in this one, keeping the Rays off the scoreboard for the first three innings and striking out five of the first nine batters he faced. He allowed a leadoff double in the fourth but then struck out the next two batters and seemed close to getting out of the jam before a walk and a Chandler Simpson triple plated two runs. Williams would rebound to retire the side in order in the fifth but was then removed from the game at just 70 pitches. Guardians manager Stephen Vogt made it clear that Williams was healthy but had just started two games and made one relief appearance in a six-game stretch, so they wanted to save his arm in case they need him later in the series. Williams has now allowed four runs on eight hits in 16 2/3 innings this postseason while striking out 33 and walking six. He could likely start Game 7 if the series gets that far.

Cabrera spent almost the entire season in the Yankees’ organization at the Triple-A level, hitting .288 with 19 home runs and a .790 OPS. He was designated for assignment and claimed off waivers by the Reds in late September. He will battle for a bench spot in spring training.

Nogami is a little-known 20-year-old from Japan who was not playing professional baseball but was signed out of a semi-hardball league. Limited scouting reports suggest that he has a 90 mph four-seamer, cutter, slider, curve, and a splitter. He’s likely a low-cost developmental prospect for the Padres.

The 48-year-old Reith played 13 years of professional baseball, including three in the big leagues with the Reds as a reliever. He has spent the past five seasons as the pitching coach for Triple-A Durham in the Rays’ organization. This will be Reith’s first stint on a major league coaching staff, and it will be interesting to see what, if any, organizational approaches he brings over from Tampa Bay, where he coached current Twins starters Taj Bradley and Joe Ryan.

Povich was allegedly “pitching through significant pain down the stretch.” He was optioned to the minors in the middle of September after posting a 4.38 ERA in 37 MLB innings. Povich is expected to be ready for spring training, and he has a shot at earning a spot in the starting rotation.

Melton was placed on the injured list on September 21st with right arm fatigue and had reportedly been dealing with an “achy” arm for a few weeks. Unsurprisingly, that coincided with a major dip in production from the 25-year-old. The Tigers said that “Melton’s medical evaluation found no issues,” and he will head into the offseason as a fully healthy pitcher with a normal routine. This was Melton’s largest MLB sample yet, but he did throw 120 innings split between the minors and majors last season, so it’s at least a little concerning that his arm didn’t feel right at the end of the year. He will be a name to monitor in spring training.