Guardians Save Gavin Williams for a Game 7 That Might Not Happen
Bob Nightengale reported Gavin Williams is 'not an option' for Game 6.
The Cleveland Guardians are facing elimination in Game 6 of the ALCS, and manager Stephen Vogt has decided the best way to save their season is to ask the entire bullpen to empty the tank.
According to USA Today's Bob Nightengale, Vogt confirmed that starter Gavin Williams is officially not an option for Game 6 against the Tampa Bay Rays. Instead, Cleveland is rolling with a full-blown bullpen game. Williams is being saved for a potential Game 7, which is a great plan assuming you actually get there.
Saving your best available arm for a game that might not happen is the baseball equivalent of refusing to use your health potions during a boss fight just in case you need them later. You usually just end up dead with a full inventory.
The Guardians are down 3-2 after dropping back-to-back games to Tampa Bay on October 18. Williams has been solid, posting a 3.77 ERA over his last 13 appearances and dominating the Chicago White Sox earlier in the playoffs. Keeping his 33 postseason strikeouts on ice while the season is on the line is a massive gamble.
This completely scrambles the board for anyone looking at the Game 6 moneyline or total runs. Bullpen games are notoriously volatile. You are betting on five or six different relievers waking up on the right side of the bed, rather than trusting one starter to give you five clean innings.
Cleveland's bullpen has been heavily taxed already in this series. Asking them to piece together 27 outs against a Rays lineup that just hung 10 runs on them across a Sunday doubleheader is asking for a miracle.
Game 6 goes down Monday night. If the Guardians' relievers can thread the needle, Vogt looks like a genius and Williams gets the ball for a winner-take-all Game 7. If they get shelled early, Vogt will have all winter to think about the starter he left in the dugout.