Williams ready for any role in decisive ALDS Game 5: 'I'll do anything'

CLEVELAND -- Gavin Williams wished he would have taken a bit more time on his run from the bullpen to the pitcher’s mound.

You can’t fault him for not having the tempo down.

The Guardians beat the White Sox, 9-5, in Game 4 of the American League Division Series on Thursday, to force a decisive Game 5 at Progressive Field on Saturday.

Williams, one of Cleveland’s ace starting pitchers, recorded the final three outs in relief of closer Cade Smith. Even the big right-hander didn’t think the game would reach a point where he’d need to make his first professional appearance out of the bullpen.

“I didn't really think so, but I wanted it,” said Williams, who threw 18 pitches, allowed a base hit and struck one batter. “That’s the whole idea, just telling myself that I want the ball.”

How did that moment arrive? What does it mean for the Guardians on Saturday?

Williams started the Guardians' 4-3 loss in Game 2 on Monday. He was lined up to pitch Game 5 on normal rest. A start Saturday could still be the path ahead, but his emergency relief appearance on Thursday added a wrinkle to things.

“Obviously, the script tonight got ripped up in the third [inning],” manager Stephen Vogt said. “When you have to go to the bullpen early, you’ve got to get creative in a win-or-go-home [game].”

• White Sox-Guardians ALDS Game 5 FAQ

Williams arrived at the ballpark on Thursday available in relief. But if the Guardians were in position to win, the plan was for him to just throw his regular between-starts bullpen session in-game, to stay ready for Saturday.

The Guardians were in position to win when Williams began to throw in the bullpen in the ninth. But it was evident he may be needed after their script had long gone awry.

Starter Parker Messick threw 65 pitches over just 2 1/3 innings. Shawn Armstrong relieved him and threw 1 2/3 scoreless innings, and Cleveland used Tanner Bibee, Tim Herrin and Erik Sabrowski in the fifth, when the White Sox scored twice to take a 4-3 lead.

Bibee and Herrin recorded one out apiece. Sabrowski threw a full inning, and Hunter Gaddis followed with 1 1/3 innings.

A six-run sixth inning gave the Guardians a 9-4 lead. With the season on the line, Vogt then turned to Smith in the eighth. He worked a scoreless frame, before allowing a solo homer to Miguel Vargas and a walk to Munetaka Murakami to open the ninth.

Smith’s pitch count sat at 31 at that point, after he worked two innings in Game 4 on Wednesday. He put the Guardians on the doorstep. With his workload, they needed someone to finish things off and hold a four-run lead.

Cleveland’s available options were Williams, Daniel Espino, Matt Festa and Joey Cantillo. The Guardians didn’t have to turn to Williams, but he was ready for one inning and is one of their most trustworthy pitchers.

“I didn't even know anybody was warming up, so I thought it was Cade’s game to finish out,” outfielder Steven Kwan said. “When Vogt came out, I was really confused, and I see big old Gav jogging over.”

If Williams was going to pitch, Vogt didn’t want the first batter he faced to be with the potential tying run on deck. Williams entered after Murakami’s walk and allowed a base hit, but retired the next three batters to seal the win.

“I appreciate him, for sure, to come in and bail me out like that,” Smith said.

The all-hands-on-deck mentality left the Guardians in an interesting position for Saturday.

Heading into Thursday, Cleveland viewed a Williams relief appearance as equivalent to a higher-intensity bullpen session. But this is unique territory, and things were clouded enough after Game 4 that the Guardians needed to map out their next steps.

Each of Cleveland’s starters (Messick, Williams, Bibee, Cantillo and Foster Griffin, who was unavailable Thursday) pitched the past two games. If Williams doesn’t start Saturday, then who?

“I’m good to go,” Williams said. “Whatever they need me to do, I'll do it. If I’ve got to start, I'll start. If I come out of the ‘pen, I'll come out of the ‘pen. It doesn't matter. I'll do anything.”

Then, there’s Smith, whom Vogt expressed confidence will be ready for Game 5. But he and his bullpen mates have taken on a heavy workload this week.

If the Guardians win on Saturday, they’ll have new pitching questions to solve before Game 1 of the AL Championship Series on Monday against the Rays. But they must secure that matchup first.

“We'll worry about that on Monday, if we're fortunate to get there,” Vogt said. “This is what playoff baseball is about. It's about all hands on deck.”