“Guardians” starting righty Gavin Williams in Game 4 of ALCS

CLEVELAND – The Guardians will use right-hander Gavin Williams in Game 4 of the ALCS on Friday, making the matchup against the New York Yankees a pairing of two pitchers in their postseason debuts.

In his announcement before Game 3 on Thursday, Cleveland manager Stephen Vogt provided a clear explanation for selecting Williams for arguably the 25-year-old's biggest start to his career.

“We need a starter for Game 4, and Gavin is ready to go,” Vogt said. “He’s been good for us all year and we’re excited to give him the ball tomorrow.”

Williams went 3-10 with a 4.86 ERA in 16 starts in the regular season, his second season in the majors. During the regular season, he struggled at Progressive Field, going 0-7 with a 6.55 ERA, although he posted a much higher strikeout rate at home (11.5 per nine innings) than on the road (7.7).

“I’m grateful,” Williams said. “It's an exciting time. Not many people get this opportunity. It’s really special for them to trust me and give me the ball for Game 4.”

Neither Williams nor his opponent, Yankees righty Luis Gil, have seen game action since the final stretch of the regular season. They kept up with simulated games and side sessions.

“I felt really good,” Gil said through a team interpreter. “I felt sharp. The command of the pitches was there, and the execution and the movement of the pitches were there.”

Gil, a leading candidate for AL Rookie of the Year honors, went 15-7 with a 3.56 ERA during the season.

The Yankees lead the ALCS 2-0 in Game 3.