Cleveland rallies past Tampa Bay 3-2 in ALCS Game 3 as Gavin Williams earns the win and Cade Smith closes out a crucial victory at Progressive Field.

The Cleveland Guardians are two victories away from the World Series, and they’re getting there the hard way.

Cleveland rallied past the Tampa Bay Rays 3-2 Thursday afternoon at Progressive Field, using a two-run fifth inning and another outstanding pitching performance to take a 2-1 lead in the best-of-seven American League Championship Series.

The victory puts manager Stephen Vogt’s club firmly in control of its postseason destiny, with the next two games scheduled for Cleveland.

And once again, the Guardians showed they don’t need an offensive explosion to win when their pitching staff delivers.

Cleveland struck first in the second inning when Nathaniel Lowe ripped an RBI double off Tampa Bay starter Griffin Jax, giving the Guardians an early 1-0 advantage.

But the Rays weren’t going quietly.

Tampa Bay took the lead in the fourth when Chandler Simpson delivered a two-run triple off Cleveland starter Gavin Williams, flipping the score to 2-1 and briefly silencing the Progressive Field crowd.

The Guardians responded in the fifth.

Cleveland pushed across two runs to reclaim a 3-2 advantage, turning what had been a frustrating afternoon into another memorable October comeback.

From there, pitching took over.

Williams earned the victory, improving to 2-0 this postseason, while Cleveland’s bullpen made sure Tampa Bay never mounted another successful rally.

Closer Cade Smith finished the job, collecting his second postseason save and securing one of Cleveland’s biggest victories of the season.

The Guardians held Tampa Bay to just three hits while collecting six of their own. Neither team committed an error.

Jax, making his first career postseason start, took the loss.

For Cleveland, the victory represents another impressive chapter in a postseason run that has featured resilience and timely performances.

The Guardians overcame a 2-0 deficit against the Chicago White Sox in the American League Division Series, winning three consecutive elimination games to advance.

Now they’ve won two of the first three games against a Tampa Bay club that finished the regular season with an American League-best 98 victories.

Cleveland opened the ALCS with a 7-3 comeback victory Monday before Tampa Bay responded with a 3-1 win Tuesday.

Thursday’s result swings the advantage back to the Guardians.

The series also returned to Cleveland under unusual circumstances, with Major League Baseball moving Game 3 from its originally scheduled evening start to early afternoon because of threatening weather.

That adjustment didn’t slow the Guardians.

Now Cleveland has a chance to move within one victory of its first World Series appearance since 2016.

The Guardians and Rays return to Progressive Field for Game 4 on Friday, with Cleveland holding a 2-1 series advantage and momentum firmly on its side.