TL;DR
Cleveland kept Steven Kwan in center field and at the top of the order for Game 3 of the ALDS against the White Sox, despite his 1-for-7 start to the series. NBC Sports reported that the Guardians’ full lineup was unchanged from Game 2. The supplied report later says Cleveland won Game 3, 9-3, and faces a must-win Game 4.
Steven Kwan remained Cleveland’s leadoff hitter and started in center field for Game 3 of the American League Division Series against the Chicago White Sox, despite going 1-for-7 with one walk in the first two games. NBC Sports reported that the Guardians kept the same lineup they used in Game 2, choosing to retain Kwan at the top as Cleveland sought a result in the best-of-five series.
The lineup decision kept Kwan in his familiar role rather than moving another hitter into the leadoff spot. NBC Sports noted that Cleveland had used Travis Bazzana as a leadoff option at points during the season, but the team stuck with Kwan for Wednesday’s game. The report attributed that choice to his continued ability to make contact, with the Guardians hoping those contact plays would turn into hits.
Kwan’s series line entering Game 3 was limited: one hit, one walk and one run scored across seven at-bats. Those numbers describe his production in the first two games; they do not, on their own, explain the club’s full reasoning. The published report identified contact ability and continuity in the lineup as the rationale for keeping him at the top.
The same report records that Cleveland later beat Chicago 9-3 in Game 3 on Wednesday. It highlights José Ramírez’s two hits, two runs batted in and stolen base in the win. The Guardians still needed another victory in Game 4 to keep their season alive and force a deciding Game 5, according to the supplied game update.
Cleveland Keeps Its Leadoff Plan
Kwan’s placement mattered because the leadoff hitter is the first batter the opposing pitcher faces in each inning, and Cleveland opted to keep its regular choice in that role despite his modest results in the series so far. The decision signaled continuity rather than a lineup change at the top, even with another potential leadoff option available.
For readers following the series, the choice also offers a snapshot of how a team can weigh a short postseason sample against a hitter’s broader role. Kwan had one hit through seven at-bats, but the team’s stated emphasis was his contact. The supplied material does not provide further matchup data, coaching comments or analysis that would support a stronger conclusion about why the lineup was retained.
Because Cleveland’s season remained at stake, the game carried greater consequence than a routine lineup update. The later account says the Guardians won Game 3 and still needed to win Game 4 to extend the series. Kwan’s slot was one part of that lineup, not evidence by itself that he drove the eventual result.
The Two Games Before Game 3
The ALDS is a best-of-five series, making each game especially consequential once a team falls behind. Before Game 3, Kwan had recorded one hit and one walk in seven at-bats, while scoring once. NBC Sports said the rest of Cleveland’s lineup was unchanged from Game 2, so the decision was not presented as a broader overhaul.
The source also mentions that Cleveland had turned to Travis Bazzana at leadoff during the season. It does not specify when those lineup variations occurred or provide a detailed comparison of the players’ performance in that spot. Its account of the Game 3 choice focuses instead on Kwan’s contact skills and the club’s hope that contact would produce more hits.
A later game note supplied with the report says Cleveland won 9-3, with Ramírez contributing two hits, two RBI and a stolen base. It describes Game 4 as a must-win for the Guardians, with a possible Game 5 scheduled for Saturday if Cleveland won again. The material does not provide the result of Game 4.
Kwan’s Game 3 Results
The supplied material confirms the starting lineup decision and Kwan’s record entering the game, but does not give his Game 3 batting line. It also does not include a direct quotation from manager Stephen Vogt or Kwan explaining the choice, so the reasoning available here is limited to the report’s description of his contact ability and the hope that contact would become hits.
The source includes an outcome for Game 3 and states that Cleveland needed Game 4 to stay alive, but it does not establish whether the Guardians won that next game. The latest status of the series beyond the supplied Game 3 account is therefore not confirmed in this material.
Guardians Face Game 4
According to the supplied update, Cleveland’s next game was Game 4 on Thursday evening. The Guardians needed a win to send the series back to Cleveland for a winner-take-all Game 5 on Saturday; a loss would end their postseason run. The material does not provide a confirmed Game 4 result or subsequent series status.
For Kwan, the immediate question was whether the contact-first approach would translate into production at the plate. The available report does not say whether he remained in the leadoff spot for Game 4, so any further lineup plan should be treated as unconfirmed until Cleveland’s next lineup is announced.
Key Questions
Why did the Guardians keep Kwan in the leadoff spot?
NBC Sports reported that Cleveland valued Kwan’s ability to make contact and hoped that contact would turn into hits. The report did not include a direct comment from the manager.
How had Kwan performed before Game 3?
He was 1-for-7 with one walk and one run scored through the first two games of the ALDS, according to the report.
Did Cleveland change the rest of its lineup?
No. NBC Sports said the entire Guardians lineup was unchanged from Game 2 for Game 3.
What was at stake in Game 4?
The supplied update says Cleveland needed to win Game 4 to force a deciding Game 5. It does not include the result of Game 4.
Source: google-trends
