The Cleveland Guardians will start right-handed reliever Shawn Armstrong in Game 6 of the American League Championship Series as they try to force a deciding seventh game against the Tampa Bay Rays. Armstrong, 36, opened Game 4 on Saturday, pitching a scoreless inning in a 7-3 Guardians loss. He has not allowed a run in 7⅔ postseason innings, though he did not start a game during the regular season.
The Rays will counter with right-hander Freddy Peralta, who won Game 2. The Guardians decided against pitching ace Gavin Williams on three days' rest. Manager Stephen Vogt said after Sunday's Game 5 loss that the team would have a plan but was unsure who would take the ball first. "We know this is going to be tough, but if there's a group I'm betting on to get this done, it's our guys," he said.
The club's workload may be catching up with its staff. The Guardians reached the postseason and then rallied from behind in the best-of-five AL Division Series against the White Sox. Rookie Parker Messick has not pitched deep into any of his postseason starts, and the team has leaned heavily on Williams, who has compiled high pitch counts and strikeout totals throughout the playoffs. He also closed out Game 4 of the division series.
The Guardians hope to give Williams the ball on full rest in a potential Game 7 on Tuesday night. Vogt acknowledged the difficult position. "We don't like being in this position, but, like we said the last series, our backs were against the wall," he said. "They've been against the wall for a long time. This is when this team thrives."
Source: ESPN MLB · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing