Gavin Williams will start for Guardians in Game 5

The Guardians entered the ninth with a comfortable five-run advantage, but after a home run from Miguel Vargas and a walk to Munetaka Murakami, manager Stephen Vogt turned to Williams — his presumed Game 5 starter — to close it out. Williams allowed a single to Sam Antonacci before retiring Andrew Benintendi on strikes for the first out of the inning. He then got Kyle Teel to ground into a fielder’s choice before retiring Braden Montgomery on a fly ball to left to end it. Williams needed 18 pitches to get through the ninth which could put his availability to start on Saturday into question.

With their season on the line once again on Thursday, the Guardians will do anything necessary to survive — which includes using their ace out of the bullpen if they have to. Williams threw 98 pitches while striking out 11 batters over five innings in Game 2 on Monday. In a best-case scenario, the Guardians would love to save him for a decisive fifth game back in Cleveland, but that requires a win on Thursday to get there first and they may not have that luxury.

Williams led the majors with 11 double-digit strikeout performances during the regular season and became the first Cleveland starter to accomplish the feat in a playoff setting since Bartolo Colon back in 2001. His 11 punchouts were one shy of the franchise record set by Charles Nagy back in 1996. He piled up 22 swinging strikes on 98 pitches, allowing just seven baserunners over five impressive frames. He looked like he was going to get in trouble when White Sox rookie sensation Munetaka Murakami smacked an RBI single in the fourth inning. However, he managed to get out of the frame without any further damage. He was charged with an additional run when Cleveland’s bullpen allowed an inherited runner to cross the plate in the sixth. He figures to get the ball for a decisive Game 5 matchup, if the series gets to that point.

Luckily bailed on by his lineup – and the Royals’ brutal relief pitching – Williams did not answer the bell in this pivotal start as a budding ace should. Gifted three runs over the first two innings, he immediately gave them all back and never found a rhythm. Of the 18 batters he faced, only nine saw a first pitch strike and Williams was forced to play catch-up all game. All in all, this was an ugly start and the Guardians hope Williams will be able to put it behind him before he takes the ball in the playoffs.

It’s Williams’ fifth scoreless start of the year, and he has two others in which he allowed just one unearned run. With nine strikeouts, he now leads the majors at 244, though surely not for long; he’s one ahead of Jacob Misiorowski, who starts tonight. Williams is in line to make his final start Saturday, but the Guardians could tweak things based on how things are lining up for the playoffs. If the Guardians clinch the AL Central, then Williams could have a relatively normal start next weekend. However, if they fall into Wild Card position, then they would need Williams to start on Tuesday or Wednesday next week.

Making his first start in eight days, Williams wriggled out of multiple jams, carrying an improbable shutout into the sixth inning before the White Sox finally broke through following his departure after a season-high 113 pitches. He finished with seven strikeouts, issued three walks and also hit a pair of batters. He’ll wrap up a two-start week with a favorable home outing against the Athletics on Sunday.

The Guardians are giving Williams a few extra days of rest before facing the White Sox on Monday. It sets up a two-start week for fantasy managers next week that also includes a home matchup against the Athletics. However, it’s a tough development for them to stomach in the short-term as it leaves Williams without a start for this entire week. It’ll be Daniel Espino kicking off a bullpen game for Cleveland on Saturday afternoon.

Williams gave up four hits, walked three and struck out 11. He has now struck out at least 11 batters in three of his last four starts. Williams will enter play Monday as MLB’s strikeout leader. He has a 3.78 ERA. Williams is lined up to face the Twins on the road next weekend.

Williams gave up two hits, walked one and struck out 13. He improved to 13-7 with the win. Williams bounced back with a gaudy strikeout total after he allowed five runs and didn’t even make it out of the second inning in his last start. He tied Dylan Cease with 217 for the second-most strikeouts this year. Williams has a 3.81 ERA. He’s lined up to face the Tigers at home on Sunday.

In terms of following up his 11-strikeout effort against the Giants, Williams did not. He gave up six hits while getting just four outs, and two of those hits went over the fence. It’s a disappointing outing regardless of the situation, but after dominating for so much of that last outing against San Francisco, and then facing one of the worst teams in baseball, it just adds to said disappointment. He’ll get a chance to bounce back against the Blue Jays next week.