Guardians shut down Rays behind pitching staff, epic Petey Halpin bat-flip for Game 3 win to take series lead

Game 3 was moved up from 6 p.m.

ET to 1 p.m.

ET due to weather, but the Tampa Bay Rays' offense did not get the memo.

In the team's 3-2 loss to the Cleveland Guardians on Thursday at Progressive Field, the offense was dormant.

The Rays scored just two runs on three hits, as the Guardians' pitching staff shut them down.

In seven of the nine innings, the Rays went down in order.

The 1 p.m. start was the earliest for an LCS game in the Eastern time zone since 1988, when the Los Angeles Dodgers and New York Mets played Game 5 of the NLCS at 12:20 p.m.

ET.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE OUTKICK SPORTS COVERAGE The Guardians bats struck first off Griffin Jax.

Jo Adell worked a walk (after successfully overturning a called strike with the automated ball-strike challenge system), and was driven in one batter later when Nathaniel Lowe ripped a ball into right field, taking a 1-0 lead in the bottom of the second inning.

Adell was able to score from first after the ball got away from right fielder Victor Mesa Jr., while Lowe advanced to second base.

Jax was able to strand Lowe by recording the next three outs.

Gavin Williams was lights out to begin the game, retiring the Rays in order the first time through the lineup.

However, Rays first baseman Yandy Díaz broke through, ripping a leadoff double into the left-center gap for the team’s first baserunner of the game.