Guardians Tap Gavin Williams for Game 5 Start Less Than 48 Hours After Relief Appearance

The Cleveland Guardians are treating their pitching staff like a rental car they bought full insurance on.

According to USA Today's Bob Nightengale, Gavin Williams is officially starting Game 5 for Cleveland less than 48 hours after he pitched the ninth inning to secure their Game 4 victory.

"Bob Nightengale reported Williams is starting Game 5 less than 48 hours after securing the Game 4 victory."

Starting a winner-take-all playoff game on one day of rest after pitching in relief is the baseball equivalent of pulling an all-nighter for a final exam, chugging three energy drinks, and hoping your heart does not explode before you finish the essay.

This is the exact kind of chaotic roster management that sends sportsbooks scrambling. Anyone looking at pitching props or first-inning totals has to factor in that Williams is operating on fumes and pure adrenaline instead of a normal starter's routine.

Cleveland fought back from a brutal 2-0 series hole, dropping the first two games at home before hanging nine runs on the Chicago White Sox in back-to-back road games to keep their season alive. They have all the momentum heading into this weekend, but they are clearly out of traditional pitching options.

Game 5 is back in Cleveland, and the Guardians are asking a guy who just emptied the tank to set the tone in the biggest spot of the year. If Williams pulls this off, they should start building his statue outside the stadium. If he does not, the bullpen better be loose by the second inning.