CLEVELAND -- Watching Gavin Williams work against an overmatched A’s lineup on Sunday, it was easy to begin looking ahead and dream about his potential on the October stage. The big right-hander with overpowering stuff is the type of pitcher any team would love to lean on in the postseason.
The Guardians have to punch their ticket first. Williams got them one step closer on Sunday.
Williams struck out nine over seven innings Sunday, allowing just three hits and one walk, to lead the Guardians to a 1-0 win over the A’s at Progressive Field. Cleveland completed a three-game sweep in its final home game of the regular season.
The next time the Guardians play in this ballpark, it could very well be a postseason game with Williams on the bump.
The Guardians (81-75) moved to 1 1/2 games ahead of the White Sox (79-76) for first place in the AL Central, pending the outcome of Chicago’s rain-delayed series finale against the Tigers. Cleveland also now has a three-game cushion on the AL West-leading Rangers (78-78) for the No. 2 seed in the AL -- and the first-round bye that would come with it.
The White Sox hold the tiebreaker over the Guardians, which means Cleveland has to finish with a better record to win the Central. The Guards took care of business this week with a 5-1 homestand that included a series win over the South Siders.
Williams paved the way on Sunday. He was in complete control, and worked around the only real threat against him by stranding Zack Gelof and Donovan Walton after they hit consecutive singles to open the second inning.
Williams reassumed the MLB strikeouts lead (244) on Sunday, surpassing Brewers flamethrower Jacob Misiorowski.
The job is far from complete for the Guardians. A six-game road trip against the Red Sox and Royals stands between them and their third consecutive division title. The White Sox have six games next week vs. the Royals and Rockies.
Cleveland has to keep stacking up wins over the final week, as it has during a 12-7 start to September.