Petey Halpin gave the Cleveland Guardians the biggest swing of Game 3 of the American League Championship Series, and then he gave fans a celebration they will be talking about for a long time. With Cleveland trailing the Tampa Bay Rays 2-1 in the fifth inning on Thursday afternoon, Halpin stepped to the plate with Patrick Bailey on first base and drove a pitch from Griffin Jax 385 feet into the right field seats. The two run homer gave the Guardians a 3-2 lead that held up the rest of the way, putting Cleveland two wins away from the World Series.
Before he took a step out of the batter’s box, Halpin admired the blast and launched his bat high into the air, sending Progressive Field into a frenzy. ESPN Cleveland shared the moment with a simple reaction.
“WHAT A BAT FLIP,” ESPN Cleveland posted.
WHAT A BAT FLIP 🔥🔥🔥 pic.twitter.com/1VASRJNFsO
— ESPN Cleveland (@ESPNCleveland) October 15, 2026
The celebration quickly became one of the most talked about moments of the Guardians’ postseason. Plenty of Cleveland sports voices weighed in, and ESPN Cleveland’s Aaron Goldhammer went as far as putting it in the conversation with the best in franchise history.
“I think we have a new nominee for coolest bat flip in Cleveland Guardians history,” Goldhammer said.
"I think we have a new nominee for coolest bat flip in Cleveland Guardians history," – @HammerNation19 on the MASSIVE Petey Halpin game 3 home run. https://t.co/eL7OwV3oxo pic.twitter.com/ByqABPmrb0
— ESPN Cleveland (@ESPNCleveland) October 15, 2026
It is hard to argue with him. Halpin’s flip seemed to hang in the air almost as long as the ball, and it perfectly captured the emotion of the moment.
The swing behind it was just as important. Jax had been cruising through four innings and came into the game with a 2.19 ERA in his career at Progressive Field, built largely during his years with the Twins. Bailey started the fifth with a high chopper that landed behind the mound for an infield single, and Halpin followed by turning the game around with one swing. It was the first postseason home run of his career, and it came at the perfect time.
Big postseason swings tend to become part of Cleveland baseball lore, and Halpin’s homer and bat flip now have a place in that story. If the Guardians finish the job, it might be remembered as one of the defining moments of this October run.
Cleveland holds a 2-1 lead in the best-of-seven series, and the home crowd will surely be hoping Halpin has another flip in him.
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