Australian Travis Bazzana is one step closer to reaching the World Series in what is proving to be a dream first season in Major League Baseball.
Petey Halpin hit a go-ahead, two-run homer, Gavin Williams struck out nine over five innings and Cleveland beat Tampa Bay 3-2 to take a 2-1 lead in the American League Championship Series.
The second baseman, and first Aussie to be taken at No.1 in the draft, had an uneventful three at-bats at Progressive Field in Ohio on Thursday (Friday AEDT).
Jose Ramirez had two hits and Nathaniel Lowe added an RBI for the Guardians, who have won five of their last six playoff games since trailing the Chicago White Sox 2-0 in their AL Division Series.
Game 4 in the best-of-seven matchup is scheduled for Friday (Saturday AEDT), though rain is forecast.
The winner will meet either Milwaukee or the Los Angeles Dodgers in the World Series. The Brewers lead 3-0 and can clinch their place with another victory in California later on Friday.
Williams allowed two runs in five innings with one walk and Cleveland retired 16 of the Rays' last 17 batters. Daniel Espino, Erik Sabrowski, Hunter Gaddis and Cade Smith allowed only one baserunner in the final four innings.
Smith stranded a runner at third in the eighth when he struck out Yandy Diaz in a 10-pitch at-bat, then pitched a one-two-three ninth.
Nathaniel Lowe hit an RBI double in the second inning that bounced off the right-field fence and past Victor Mesa Jr.
Chandler Simpson put Tampa Bay ahead with a two-run triple in the fourth.
Patrick Bailey started the fifth with a chop that pitcher Griffin Jax was unable to cleanly field. Halpin connected on a elevated 154km/h sinker on a 2-2 count and drove it 385 feet into the stands in right-centre for a 3-2 lead.
It was Halpin's first post-season home run and only the fifth overall of his two year big league career. It was the first time Jax allowed a homer since September 9.
Williams didn't allow a runner and struck out five his first time through the order.
Jax allowed three runs, five hits and two walks in four-plus innings.
With AAP.