MLB playoffs: Takeaways from ALCS Game 3, lineups for NLCS Game 4

Oct 15, 2026, 04:40 PM ET

On Day 5 of the League Championship Series, one team broke a series tie … will another advance to the Fall Classic?

After splitting the first two games in Tampa Bay, the Cleveland Guardians and Tampa Bay Rays faced off at Progressive Field in the day’s first game. Thanks to Petey Halpin — and his epic bat flip — Cleveland prevailed, taking a 2-1 ALCS lead.

Tonight, in what could be the finale of the NLCS, the Milwaukee Brewers will look to continue their dominant championship series run and sweep the reigning champion Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium. Can the Dodgers stave off elimination in Game 4 — or will the Brewers advance to their first World Series since 1982?

Stay tuned for in-game action and postgame analysis from Los Angeles and Cleveland.

Key links: How final four teams were built | Playoff MVP tracker | Schedule

Jump to: TB-CLE | MIL LAD

Cleveland leads series 2-1

It was over when … Petey Halpin cranked a 96 mph sinker down the middle from Griffin Jax in the fifth inning. The ball landed deep into the right-field seats, 385 feet away, for a go-ahead two-run home run. Halpin flipped his bat nearly that high, too, and Cleveland didn’t look back.

Game 3 star: Halpin, who began the season in Triple-A, had four big league home runs — all during the regular season — in 213 career plate appearances before Thursday. The center fielder’s first postseason homer was the difference Thursday.

The stat that defined the game: The Rays’ 13 strikeouts against Guardians pitching. The Rays posted the lowest strikeout rate in the majors this season at 18.8%. They struck out more than 12 times once, when they compiled 14 strikeouts against the Milwaukee Brewers back on March 30 in their fourth game of the season. Rays star Junior Caminero went 0-for-4 with four strikeouts — matching a career high from 2025. So Thursday was an extreme outlier. Guardians starter Gavin Williamsthe American League’s strikeout leader this season, had nine strikeouts in five innings before four relievers combined for the remaining four punchouts. Tampa Bay will have to put the ball in play more to come back and win this series.

What it means for the rest of the series: With rain in the forecast Friday, there’s a chance this series won’t play Game 4 until Saturday. If so, the clubs would play Game 5 on Sunday, which would take away their travel day before a potential Game 6 in Tampa Bay on Monday. For now, Game 4 is scheduled for 6 p.m. ET Friday. — Jorge Castillo

Highlights from the Guardians’ win:

Halpin’s homer, um, flips lead back to Guardians

PETEY HALPIN!
GUARDIANS LEAD! https://t.co/IGTS1y8p8T
— MLB (@MLB) October 15, 2026

🎵 If you believe
They put a bat on the moon
Bat on the moon 🎵 https://t.co/EfBPpUIN8Q
— MLB (@MLB) October 15, 2026

Simpson silences Cleveland crowd with two-run triple

CHANDLER SIMPSON GO-AHEAD TRIPLE! https://t.co/3qrpyZffD7
— MLB (@MLB) October 15, 2026

2nd time through not as dominant. 2b, BB, 3b and now the Rays lead 2-1 Top 4. Should Kwan have caught that leadoff double?
— Jesse Rogers (@JesseRogersESPN) October 15, 2026

Gavin gettin’ it done early

Gavin Williams is perfect though 3. Getting it done with his sweeper and curve. Just 6 fastballs out of 32 pitches. Cleveland leads 1-0 bot 3.
— Jesse Rogers (@JesseRogersESPN) October 15, 2026

For all the great pitching in the postseason, no one looks better than Gavin Williams right now. His stuff is huge and through three innings of Game 3, he’s got 28 strikes on 35 pitches and five Ks. Another Guardians pitching-development success story in a long line of them.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) October 15, 2026

Guardians score first on Lowe’s double

Nathaniel Lowe puts the Guardians on the board first in Game 3! https://t.co/hPpRSya8Ui
— MLB (@MLB) October 15, 2026

A series-defining day?

Guardians/Rays starting up. Williams v Jax. Last time Williams was on the mound, he was striking out White Sox hitters left and right. We’ll see what he has in the tank today. Winner of series tied 1-1 goes on to win 70 percent of the time.
— Jesse Rogers (@JesseRogersESPN) October 15, 2026