Clutch Steven Kwan comes through again

CLEVELAND — Steven Kwan continues to be a catalyst for the Guardians offense. The rookie leadoff hitter finished 3-for-5 with two runs and an RBI, including a clutch opposite-field hit in the ninth that sparked a three-run rally for a 6-5 walk-off win against the Yankees in Game 3 of the ALDS at Progressive Field on Saturday evening. Cleveland leads the best-of-five series 2-1 and hosts Game 4 tonight at 7:07. Kwan was one of the top rookies in the American League, hitting .298 in 147 games with 89 runs and a .373 on-base percentage in the regular season. He didn't have a hit in the wild card round against the Rays, but is 6-for-14 with a home run and two RBIs against the Yankees. Kwan strung together the quintessential leadoff at-bat, opening the game by fouling off three pitches and seeing seven before lining a double down the first base line to the right-field wall. Jose Ramirez followed with a blooper into right, and Josh Naylor got the Guardians on the board with a liner past short. "We obviously have a different style of baseball," Kwan said. "To see that succeed and see that prevail I think is really rewarding for the game. It shows we're not going to change our game style for anybody. As long as we keep rolling, we can do it." Gabriel Arias — one of the Guardians' top prospects — must have been taking notes during Kwan's at-bat because he also saw seven pitches and got a line-drive double to the left-field wall in the second inning. Austin Hedges put runners at the corners with a liner into center. Kwan got his RBI two batters later, roping a line drive into right on the third pitch of the at-bat to give Cleveland a 2-0 lead. The Guardians almost chased starter Luis Severino from the game in the second, but couldn't deliver the knockout blow. Severino and the Yankees settled in as he retired 13 straight and helped New York build a two-run lead it took into the ninth. Myles Straw reached on a one-out blooper into left and Kwan slapped an opposite-field hit to give the Guardians runners on the corners. Kwan came around to score the tying run on Gonzalez's liner up the middle, which also allowed Amed Rosario to score the winning run from second base. "I think that comes from just believing in your teammates," Kwan said. "I think if we play selfish baseball, somebody has to feel like they've got to win the game by themselves, hit the three-run homer to win the game. Because we love each other and care for each other, we know as long as we get the next guy up, someone will get the job done. Unselfish baseball, moving the chains, and luckily it worked out." Contact Chris Sweeney at 329-7135 or ctsports@chroniclet.com. Follow him @CSweeney1686 on Twitter.