The Cleveland Guardians are going all guns blazing for the winner-take-all ALDS Game 5, even if that means announcing a starter who closed Game 4 less than 48 hours before. The Guardians have already defied the odds, clawing their way back from a 0-2 deficit to force the game. Now, with an ALCS berth on the line and a World Series drought stretching back to 1948, manager Steven Vogt is ready to take another gamble, turning to 27-year-old ace Gavin Williams just after he closed out Game 4.
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“It’s Game 5, win or go home. Gavin wants the ball. We want him to have the ball, and it’s his game. And the game will tell us when it’s time to move on, or maybe he takes it the whole way. We don’t know. We gotta get there and find out,” MLB analyst Bob Nightengale quoted Vogt.
Williams already had two appearances in the 2026 ALDS.
In Game 2, he pitched 5.0 innings, allowing 4 hits, 3 walks, and 2 earned runs. He also made franchise history by striking out 11 batters in just 5 innings, matching the second-most strikeouts in a single postseason game in Cleveland history.
However, Williams appeared again out of the bullpen in Game 4. The Guardians used eight pitchers to survive Game 4.
With closer Cade Smith struggling to get through his appearance and the rest of the relief corps heavily taxed, the team desperately needed their ace to take the mound.
Williams threw 18 pitches to record the final three outs of Cleveland’s 9-5 victory in Game 4.
Now, with Game 5 in less than 48 hours, Williams is set to start. Vogt, though, assured that Williams has recovered from his cameo appearance.
“So Gavin is ready to go tomorrow,” Vogt added. “Feels good today. So we will obviously see how he’s doing tomorrow.”
The Guardians may not have had a better choice than Williams to start Game 5.
He led the American League in strikeouts during the 2026 regular season with 248 strikeouts. Moreover, his 11 strikeouts in 5 innings in Game 2 proved his effectiveness against the Chicago White Sox offense.
The Guardians still have a few alternatives, though.
Tanner Bibee could be, but he was already utilized as a mid-game relief option in Game 4. Also, Williams would be better than Bibee, who posted a 7-15 regular-season record. Matt Festa and Daniel Espino could make a bullpen game. Meanwhile, closer Cade Smith ran out of gas throwing 31 pitches in Game 4, and the top-tier relievers were heavily taxed, making an all-bullpen approach incredibly dangerous.
The Guardians would now hope Gavin Williams to repeat Max Scherzer from the 2019 NLDS.
Playing for the Washington Nationals, Scherzer surprised many by appearing out of the bullpen in the bottom of the 8th inning with a 1-run lead in Game 2. He struck out 3 Dodgers batters in order on 3 straight swings to pick up a hold.
Then again, in Game 4, Scherzer turned in a 109-pitch, 7-inning gem, allowing just one run while striking out 7 batters to force a Game 5.
Williams will have the chance to channel his inner Scherzer in front of the home crowd in Game 5.