Guardians Name Gavin Williams Game 5 Starter Despite Relief Cameo Chaos

The Guardians' Game 5 mystery is solved. Manager Stephen Vogt announced Friday that Gavin Williams will start Saturday's winner-take-all ALDS Game 5 against the Chicago White Sox at Progressive Field, despite the pitcher's surprise relief appearance in Thursday's 9-5 Game 4 win that left Cleveland's pitching plan in flux, according to the Akron Beacon Journal.

Williams, the Game 2 starter who struck out 11, threw just 18 pitches to close out Game 4 — his first career relief appearance — and entered for Cade Smith when the closer couldn't finish a second inning. Vogt explained it was Williams' scheduled side-session day anyway, so the club used it as a high-intensity bullpen session. The White Sox countered by naming Sean Burke as their Game 5 starter. First pitch is 8:08 p.m. ET Saturday, with the winner facing the Tampa Bay Rays in the ALCS. Williams takes the ball with the season on the line and the memory of his clutch cameo still fresh — a high-stakes encore for the right-hander who may be Cleveland's best big-game arm.