Halpin’s go-ahead homer flips Game 3 as Guardians beat Rays 3-2 for 2-1 AL Championship Series lead

CLEVELAND (AP) — In a season where Cleveland rookies helped propel to the Guardians to their third straight AL Central title, it was the team's emotional spark plug that powered the Guardians to a pivotal victory in Game 3 of the AL Championship Series.

Petey Halpin hit a go-ahead, two-run homer in the fifth inning and followed with a majestic bat flip as the Guardians beat the Tampa Bay Rays 3-2 Thursday for a 2-1 lead in the best-of-seven series.

“It’s the second time he’s kind of picked us up in a big spot this year. And a really fun moment for him, great swing,” Cleveland manager Stephen Vogt said.

Halpin watched the ball clear the wall in right-center and then launched his bat over his head and into the sky before rounding the bases. The bat might have gone higher than the 25-degree launch angle on his homer.

“I definitely threw it high. 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,” Halpin said.

The home run and the bat flip energized Cleveland's dugout and the 30,101 fans in attendance at Progressive Field. Even though the game wasn't sold out, it was a strong crowd after the start time was moved up five hours on Wednesday due to the threat of rain.

“That was a nasty one. Didn’t even move either. I feel like he knew that the wind was blowing in and it still got out," outfielder Steven Kwan said. "So the bat flip that he did was just ignorant, but in a good way. That was awesome.”

Gavin Williams struck out nine over five innings. José Ramírez had two hits and Nathaniel Lowe added an RBI double in the second inning 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.

“When anyone does their job and gets the job done and puts on us in a position to win, everyone on the team’s juiced. It’s not about me or that home run, but it’s just the fact that we’re winning and we keep rolling,” Halpin said.

Chandler Simpson had a two-run triple in the fourth inning for Tampa Bay, which was held to three hits and struck out 13 times.

Game 4 is scheduled for Friday, though rain is forecast.

Patrick Bailey started the fifth with a chop that Rays starting pitcher Griffin Jax was unable to cleanly field. Five pitches later, Halpin connected on a elevated 95.9 mph sinker on a 2-2 count and drove it 385 feet into the stands in right-center for a 3-2 lead.

It was Halpin’s first postseason home run and only the fifth overall of his two year big league career. It was the first time Jax allowed a homer since Sept. 9, a span of five appearances.

“I knew I hit it good. I thought I got more of it, I guess,” Halpin said. “I knew that he used a sinker in a few times to lefties before, kind of as a strikeout pitch. I was on a hard timing trying to get the head out and it all worked out. He left it over the plate a little bit and I was able to make a good swing.”

Rays manager Kevin Cash said Jax wouldn't have been able to make a play on Bailey's chop, especially with the jump Bailey got leaving the batter's box. The sinker to Halpin leaked over the plate.

“He does a good job handling off-speed, so it was the right pitch. Just the wrong location," Jax said.

Halpin got his first postseason start in Game 5 of the ALDS and had two doubles. He is 4 for 11 with a home run and two RBIs in the past four games.

The 24-year old outfielder also had a three-run homer on Sept. 16 against the White Sox, which put the Guardians atop the AL Central.

“He’s ready for whatever we ask him to do. He got called up when everybody got hurt, and he played an everyday role for us for a while. And then it kind of turned into a defensive replacement. And then kind of filling in for injured guys,” Vogt said. “I don’t feel like any moment ever gets too big for him. And so it’s really fun when you see somebody like that step up for their teammates.”

Williams allowed two runs in five innings with one walk. He is 2-0 with a 2.16 ERA and 33 strikeouts over 16 2/3 innings in four postseason games this season, including three starts.

Cleveland retired 16 of the Rays' last 17 batters. Daniel Espino, Erik Sabrowski, Hunter Gaddis and Cade Smith allowed only one baserunner the final four innings.

Smith stranded a runner at third in the eighth when he struck out Yandy Díaz in a 10-pitch at-bat, then retired the Rays in order in the ninth.

Other than Simpson's triple, it was another quiet day for the Rays' offense Williams didn’t allow a baserunner and struck out five his time through the order.

Tampa Bay batters were retired in order in seven innings, and Junior Caminero had four strikeouts. Rays batters whiffed 13 times after combining for 14 in the first two games.

It is the first time the Rays trailed 2-1 in three ALCS appearances.

“Two runs on two hits. You got to be perfect to win games like that,” Cash said.

See AP’s full MLB coverage here

Cleveland Guardians pitcher Gavin Williams throws against the Cleveland Guardians during the first inning in Game 3 of baseball's American League Championship Series baseball game in Cleveland, Thursday, Oct. 15, 2026. (AP Photo/Phil Long)

Cleveland Guardians' Jo Adell scores past Tampa Bay Rays catcher Liam Hicks on a double by Nathaniel Lowe during the second inning in Game 3 of an American League Championship Series baseball game in Cleveland, Thursday, Oct. 15, 2026. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

Tampa Bay Rays' Chandler Simpson celebrates a two-run triple against the Cleveland Guardians during the fourth inning in Game 3 of an American League Championship Series baseball game in Cleveland, Thursday, Oct. 15, 2026. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

Cleveland Guardians center fielder Petey Halpin and right fielder Chase DeLauter celebrate after Game 3 of an American League Championship Series baseball game against the Tampa Bay Rays in Cleveland, Thursday, Oct. 15, 2026. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

Cleveland Guardians' Petey Halpin celebrates after hitting a two-run home run during the fifth inning in Game 3 against the Tampa Bay Rays in baseball's American League Championship Series in Cleveland, Thursday, Oct. 15, 2026. (AP Photo/Phil Long)

WASHINGTON (AP) — Federal authorities are investigating letters with “suspicious substances” that have been mailed to congressional and election offices nationwide and are urging recipients to treat the mailings as “potentially hazardous.”

The investigation by the FBI, U.S. Postal Inspection Service and U.S. Capitol Police was first disclosed in a message from the Senate Sergeant at Arms obtained Thursday by The Associated Press. The notice, sent to Senate offices, said that law enforcement officials were working to intercept any additional letters, but “it is possible that some letters may reach their destinations.”

In Congress, the threat appeared limited to the Senate, though the House was monitoring the situation, according to a person familiar with the matter who was not authorized to discuss the investigation publicly.

The office of Sen. Lisa Blunt Rochester, a Delaware Democrat, said in a statement that it was sent a letter with a “suspicious substance” that was intercepted by Capitol Police. Democratic Sen. Alex Padilla of California said the Postal Service intercepted a suspicious package before it reached his office. And Democratic Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand said postal inspectors intercepted a suspicious piece of mail addressed to her New York City office.

An FBI statement said the bureau and the Postal Inspection Service were "investigating a series of suspicious mailings sent to various addresses nationwide, including Secretary of State offices and their related election offices.”

"Some of the letters contained an unknown substance and we are working closely with our law enforcement partners to respond to each incident," the statement read. "We are also working with our partners to identify the individual or individuals responsible for the letters."

Mailed packages containing a powdery substance led to the evacuation this week of election offices in at least two states, Louisiana and Oklahoma. The Ohio secretary of state said the Postal Service intercepted a package containing a white powder intended for its office and noted that similar mailings had been sent to election officials in multiple states. Numerous states, from Idaho to Florida, said their election offices either received letters or had them intercepted by the Postal Service.

The Wisconsin Elections Commission said in a statement that it received a letter and the white powder enclosed in it was not hazardous, according to tests. "Let this be very clear: this incident will not shake us,” Wisconsin elections administrator Meagan Wolfe said.

News of the letters comes just three weeks before Election Day and is reminiscent of a similar threat in 2023, when election offices in six states received mailings that contained a white powder. In some cases, the incidents disrupted work around local elections.

Some of those letters contained threats and traces of the powerful opioid fentanyl, leading some election offices to stock up on the overdose reversal medication naloxone.

The National Association of Secretaries of State and the National Association of State Election Directors issued a joint statement condemning what they said were threats against election staff.

“Those who administer our elections should never fear for their safety while carrying out their essential duties,” they said in their statement.

Deputy Postal Inspector Brendan Donahue told reporters Thursday that “any threat or attack on election officials is unacceptable” and that “we are also working with our partners on identifying the individual or individuals responsible for the letters.”

Associated Press writers Scott Bauer in Madison, Wisconsin; Sarah Rankin in Richmond, Virginia; and Nicholas Riccardi in Denver contributed to this report.

The U.S. Capitol is seen Tuesday, Oct. 13, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Mariam Zuhaib)

FILE - An FBI seal is displayed on a podium before a news conference at the field office in Portland, Ore., Jan. 16, 2025. (AP Photo/Jenny Kane, File)