Guardians: Gavin Williams excited for opportunity to start Game 4

CLEVELAND — Gavin Williams has been patiently staying ready, and now he'll be rewarded with his postseason debut. Williams will start for Cleveland in Game 4 of its American League Championship Series against New York at Progressive Field on Friday at 8:08 p.m. "I'm grateful," Williams said. "It's an exciting time. Not many people get this opportunity. For them to trust me, to give me the ball for Game 4 is pretty special. "We've got an electric crowd here in Cleveland, and it's going to be fun, especially with everything going on this weekend. It's going to be very fun seeing everybody around and just seeing how the city reacts to everything." Williams was projected to be one of the Guardians' top pitchers this year after striking out 81 in 82 innings with a 3.29 ERA his rookie year last season. However, he suffered a strained right elbow in spring training and began the year on the injured list. The injury ultimately cost him the first half of the season. Williams made his season debut July 3 against the White Sox and started 16 games this season, going 3-10 with a 4.86 ERA while striking out 79 in 76 innings. "It was a roller coaster, started off the way I didn't want it to," Williams said. "I wasn't healthy. I was on the IL for a couple months and came back, and it was up and down, but can't really look at that. It's a new season for me right now." Williams will face a daunting New York lineup, but it's nothing he hasn't experienced before. The right-hander went 4 1/3 innings, allowing four hits, three earned runs, four walks and struck out five as Cleveland lost 6-0 on Aug. 22 in Yankee Stadium. He expects to lean on that experience Friday. "They've got a tough lineup," Williams said. "But I faced them earlier in the year, and I know what they have, and they know what I have." And while it may not show in his 1-4 record, Williams shook off that start during his next six games. Batters were hitting just .212 against him during that span while allowing just 13 walks and 14 earned runs with 27 strikeouts in 28 2/3 innings. Williams' best outing during that run came two starts after his loss to the Yankees, pitching seven innings while allowing one earned run, one hit, two walks and striking out six during Cleveland's 4-2 win against the Royals, his only win during that six-game stretch. Even though he hasn't pitched since Sept. 22, Williams said he's been throwing bullpens the last two weeks and is ready for the challenge. "He's been touching the mound every few days and he threw a sim game the other day at Yankee Stadium," Cleveland manager Stephen Vogt said. "It was 20, 25 pitches, but he stayed sharp. He's been throwing every day. He's been staying ready, so he'll be ready to go." Contact Chris Sweeney at (440) 329-7135 or ctsports@chroniclet.com. Follow him @CSweeney1686 on X.