Gavin Williams Joins Rare Playoff Pitching Group in ALDS Game 5

Cleveland Guardians right-hander Gavin Williams faces an unusual workload as he prepares to start the decisive American League Division Series Game 5 against the Chicago White Sox at Progressive Field on Saturday night. According to CBS Sports, Williams is set to become just the sixth pitcher since 1945 to record the final out of one postseason game and start the next game in the same series.

The winner will advance to face the Tampa Bay Rays in the American League Championship Series, while the losing team will see its 2026 season end. Chicago will start right-hander Sean Burke, its leading starting pitcher during the regular season, while Cleveland manager Stephen Vogt has selected Williams for the elimination game.

Williams recorded the final out of Cleveland's Game 4 victory in Chicago, throwing 18 pitches in relief. He is scheduled to return to the mound only two days later, creating a rare postseason sequence that has drawn attention because of the limited recovery time between appearances.

Sarah Langs noted on Bluesky that Williams would join a group of five previous pitchers who recorded the final out of one game before starting the next game in the same postseason series. The historical examples span the World Series, the American League Championship Series and the National League Division Series.

The five pitchers previously associated with the feat are Jesse Chavez of the Atlanta Braves in the 2021 NLCS, Brad Peacock of the Houston Astros in the 2019 ALCS, Miguel Batista of the Arizona Diamondbacks in the 2001 NLDS, Bob Turley of the New York Yankees in the 1957 World Series and Hank Borowy of the Chicago Cubs in the 1945 World Series.

Chavez threw 16 relief pitches before starting with no days of rest, recording one inning without allowing a run or a hit. Peacock threw 21 pitches before returning without a rest day, lasting 1 2/3 innings and allowing one run on two hits.

Batista threw 12 pitches in relief before starting with one day of rest. In his subsequent outing against the St. Louis Cardinals, he recorded six innings, four strikeouts, no walks and two runs allowed on three hits.

Turley threw 11 relief pitches before starting with one day of rest in the 1957 World Series. He completed nine innings, allowing two runs on four hits. Borowy also returned after one day of rest in the 1945 World Series, but recorded no outs while allowing three runs on three hits.

According to CBS Sports, Batista's 2001 appearance provides the closest comparison to Williams because it involved a conventional starting assignment rather than a more limited opening role. Williams threw six more pitches in relief than Batista, whose subsequent start lasted six innings.

Williams could be expected to provide multiple innings, although Vogt could remove him early if the situation demands it. Cleveland's bullpen had a day off before Game 5, giving the manager another option if Williams cannot work deep into the contest. CBS Sports also noted that Williams had been scheduled for a bullpen session on Thursday.

Williams already delivered a strong performance against Chicago earlier in the series. In Game 2, he struck out 11 batters over five innings, allowing two runs on four hits. His performance in that outing adds to the significance of Cleveland's decision to give him the ball in the series finale.