CLEVELAND — Somehow, Petey Halpin keeps finding himself in the batter’s box for some of the Guardians’ biggest moments of the season and in these playoffs. And, somehow, it has been Halpin who has come through with a couple of the biggest swings for Cleveland over the last few weeks.
It was Jose Ramirez who carried the Guardians to three consecutive elimination game wins in the ALDS. It was Jo Adell, Nate Lowe and Patrick Bailey who had major contributions in the ALCS Game 1 win. All of that could have been predicted to a much larger extent.
But it was Halpin, largely considered for most of the year as a a fourth outfielder who plays a pretty good center field, who drilled the key, go-ahead home run in the Guardians’ 3-2 win in Game 3 of the ALCS, giving them a 2-1 series lead over the Tampa Bay Rays heading into Game 4 at Progressive Field.
Ramirez is the star third baseman. Adell, Lowe and Bailey were all mid-season additions. Halpin doesn’t quite have the same track record or expectations. But he does own two of the biggest home runs of the last month.
The first was Sept. 16 against the Chicago White Sox in arguably the biggest regular season win of the year, a go-ahead home run in the sixth inning of that game. The second was Thursday, Oct. 15 in ALCS Game 3, when he drilled a go-ahead, two-run home run off Rays starter Griffin Jax — also in the sixth inning.
Both were mammoth swings that turned the tides.
“Petey’s the man,” said Gavin Williams, who collected the win and struck out nine batters in five innings in Game 3 of the ALCS. “I mean, not even just the postseason, but throughout the regular season, he’s done it. He’s come up big in the moments we need him.”
Halpin, a rookie outfielder, was in part promoted to the majors due to a rash of injuries. He then was added to the playoff lineup near the end of the ALDS in part because Angel Martinez was struggling to such a large extent.
Circumstances keep leading to his bat in the lineup. And, twice, he’s come through with massively critical home runs.
“Yeah, I mean, he's feisty,” Lowe said. “He's a great player, and obviously having success on the big stage now.”
Halpin had a .225 average and .594 OPS during the regular season. He was largely on the playoff roster for his defense in center field and perhaps an option for a little speed late in games. Instead, he drilled the biggest home run of the series to date.
“I’m really happy for Petey,” said manager Stephen Vogt, who has the Guardians two wins away from the World Series. “It’s the second time he’s kind of picked us up in a big spot this year.”
Petey Halpin bat flip becomes its own highlight
Halpin also tossed one of the bat flips of the century on that home run, flipping it far over his head before he started jogging around the bases. He flipped it high enough that in most of the replays of the home run, the bat ends up out of the camera frame.
“That was nasty. That was a nasty one,” said Steven Kwan, speaking about the bat flip. Kwan jokingly added, “The bat flip he did was just ignorant, but in a good way. That was awesome.”
It looked like a no-doubter off the bat, but the wind was blowing in at Progressive Field and just about knocked it down enough to keep it in the ballpark. It cleared the wall, but perhaps not by as much as one would have thought when it left the bat.
“I mean, [the bat] was up there,” Lowe said. “I’m glad the ball got out because if not, he’s still standing there, it clangs off the wall and there’s definitely a play at second base. But as long as it’s in the seats, you can celebrate hitting a go-ahead homer however you want.”
Halpin got just enough of it, and the Guardians ended up with a 2-1 lead in the ALCS. They also now lead the series in comically exuberant bat flips.
“I looked at it after. I definitely threw it high,” Halpin said. “I think just the moment and that being for sure the biggest moment of my career, just the energy and the excitement, just kind of let it go.
“I knew I hit it good. I thought I got more of it, I guess. … When it got out, I kind of threw it. But it’s only gotta go, you know, a little bit over the wall.”
Ryan Lewis covers the Guardians for the Beacon Journal. He can be reached at rlewis1@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Akron Beacon Journal: Petey Halpin lifts Guardians with home run, bat flip in ALCS Game 3