Gavin Williams fans 9 to bring Guardians within 2 wins of World Series

CLEVELAND (AP) — Guardians pitcher Gavin Williams knew going into Game 3 of the AL Championship Series that strikeouts might be hard to come by against a Tampa Bay lineup that was the most disciplined in the major leagues during the regular season.

It didn't matter.

The right-hander had another dominant outing and helped Cleveland move within two wins of its first World Series appearance in 10 years.

Williams struck out nine, allowing two runs and two hits over five innings as the Guardians defeated the Rays 3-2 Thursday. The 27-year old became the first pitcher in Cleveland postseason history to have three straight starts with at least nine strikeouts.

“The punch-outs are cool, but I think there’s a bigger goal than just the punch-outs. I think it’s more of trying to help the team win and give the best possible shot throughout the game to get the win,” Williams said.

He is 2-0 with a 2.16 ERA and 33 strikeouts over 16 2/3 innings in four postseason games this year.

Williams was on his usual four days of rest after pitching 5 2/3 innings against the Chicago White Sox in Game 5 of the AL Division Series. He tied a franchise postseason mark with 12 strikeouts and allowed only one hit to propel the Guardians into the ALCS after he also pitched one inning of relief in Game 4.

Williams retired the Rays in order the first time through the lineup and struck out five.

The only trouble Williams faced came in the fourth. Yandy Díaz doubled to left-center leading off. Williams retired the next two hitters but Victor Mesa Jr. walked and Chandler Simpson lined a two-run triple down the right-field line to put the Rays up 2-1.

“It can get tricky. They can flip the script on you real quick, and you never know what they’re really going to be doing or sitting on,” Williams said.

Williams retired the Rays in order in the fifth, but Vogt noticed Williams' velocity dropped 3-4 mph on all his pitches. Even though Williams was only at 70 pitches, including 52 strikes, Vogt decided to take out Williams after the inning.

Williams ended up getting the win. Petey Halpin's two-run homer in the bottom of the fifth put the Guardians up 3-2.

Vogt said the move was out of an abundance of caution.

“I think when we go into the game, we have a limit that everybody has. He was a little lighter today just with what he did over the weekend,” Vogt said. “But for Gavin, the first four innings, he looked sharp, sharp, and he still looked sharp in the fifth. I just didn’t like the velo drop. He’s feeling fine. We just gotta get him out of there at the right time.”

Williams said he felt the same as he did last Saturday but also noticed the decreased speed on his pitches.

“I feel good, but I’ve done something that I never did last week. So I thank them, too,” he said. “They noticed it a little bit. So see what I’ve got in two days or five days, whatever they need from me.”

Williams' next start could be a deciding Game 7 on Tuesday night at Tropicana Field. But rain is forecast for Friday in Cleveland and the schedule could be changed, leaving pitching plans uncertain.

With 33 strikeouts, Williams needs three to surpass Orel Hershiser (1995) and Corey Kluber (2016) for the most by a Cleveland pitcher in one postseason.

Cleveland's pitchers have struck out 102, the most by a team through the first eight games of a postseason. The previous mark was 100 by Detroit in 2013 and Houston in 2022.

See AP’s full MLB coverage here

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

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)

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. 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)