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Cleveland kept Steven Kwan in center field and at the top of its lineup for Game 3 of the ALDS against the White Sox, despite his 1-for-7 start to the series. The Guardians left their lineup unchanged from Game 2 as they tried to keep their season alive.
The Cleveland Guardians kept Steven Kwan in center field and batting leadoff for Game 3 of their American League Division Series against the Chicago White Sox, despite his 1-for-7 start to the series. Cleveland made no changes to the lineup it used in Game 2, sticking with Kwan’s contact-oriented approach as the team faced a must-win game.
Kwan had recorded one hit, one walk and one run scored through the first two games, according to NBC Sports’ lineup report. The decision put him at the top of the order again, where his role is to reach base and give the hitters behind him an early scoring opportunity. The report said Cleveland was counting on his ability to make contact to turn into more hits on Wednesday.
The Guardians had also used Travis Bazzana as a leadoff hitter at points during the season, but did not turn to him for Game 3. The lineup remained the same as the one fielded in Monday’s Game 2. The report did not list a change in Kwan’s position or a separate explanation from manager Stephen Vogt beyond the team’s preference for his contact skills at the top.
The source report described the assignment before the game. In its related Game 3 recap, NBC Sports reported that Cleveland beat Chicago 9-3 on Wednesday, staving off elimination. That later result is separate from the pregame lineup news: the lineup decision itself did not establish how Kwan would perform, and the supplied recap does not give his individual Game 3 statistics.
Kwan’s Role at the Top
Keeping Kwan first in the order showed Cleveland’s preference for a familiar lineup structure rather than reacting to a small postseason sample. A leadoff hitter’s opportunities can shape the innings that follow, and Kwan’s capacity to put the ball in play was the stated reason the Guardians retained him despite the limited results in the series to that point.
The choice also mattered because Game 3 carried major stakes. Cleveland was trying to extend its season against Chicago, and a lineup that had not changed from Game 2 offered continuity in a high-pressure setting. That is a description of the decision’s context, not proof that keeping the lineup intact caused the eventual win.
For readers following the series, the move highlighted the balance between short-term results and a player’s established role. Kwan’s 1-for-7 line was a concrete concern, while Cleveland’s faith in his contact ability was the club’s apparent counterweight. The pregame report did not provide a statistical comparison showing that another leadoff option would have been more effective.
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Cleveland’s Leadoff Options
Kwan has been a regular at the top of Cleveland’s batting order, but the Guardians have not relied on him exclusively in that role. NBC Sports noted that Travis Bazzana had also led off at times during the season. For Game 3, however, Cleveland chose to keep its Game 2 lineup intact rather than make a change based on Kwan’s early series numbers.
The available report also includes season-related notes from other points in the year, but those entries refer to different games and time periods. They should not be treated as a current measure of Kwan’s Game 3 form. The specific playoff numbers supplied for the lineup decision are his one hit in seven at-bats, one walk and one run through the first two games.
After Game 3, NBC Sports reported that Cleveland won 9-3 and that the Guardians needed another victory in Game 4 to force a decisive fifth game. That outcome changes the series situation, but it does not alter what was known when the lineup decision was reported: Kwan was starting in center and batting first.
“Kwan is continuing to make lots of contact, so Cleveland will keep slotting him at the top of the lineup and hope that contact turns to hits on Wednesday.”
— NBC Sports’ lineup report
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Kwan’s Game 3 Line Remains Unreported
The lineup report did not include Kwan’s individual results from Game 3, and the supplied recap of Cleveland’s 9-3 victory provides no batting line for him. It is therefore unclear from the available material whether he reached base, scored or drove in a run in the game. The recap also does not say whether Cleveland made any in-game lineup adjustments.
The report attributes the lineup choice to Kwan’s contact ability, but does not include a direct comment from Vogt or a comparison of Kwan’s recent performance with Bazzana’s. It also does not provide full Game 3 lineup details beyond stating that the order matched Game 2. Those details should not be inferred from the decision to keep the lineup unchanged.
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Guardians Face Game 4
With the reported 9-3 win, Cleveland avoided elimination and turned its attention to Game 4 on Thursday evening. NBC Sports reported that the Guardians needed one more win to send the best-of-five series back to Cleveland for a winner-take-all Game 5 on Saturday. Chicago, meanwhile, had another opportunity to close out the series.
The available material does not specify whether Kwan would remain in the leadoff spot for Game 4, whether either team planned lineup changes or who would start. Those details depend on announcements closer to the next game. The immediate confirmed development is that Cleveland kept Kwan at the top for Game 3 and then won to extend the series.
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Key Questions
Why did Cleveland keep Steven Kwan in the leadoff spot?
NBC Sports reported that the Guardians valued Kwan’s contact ability and hoped it would produce more hits, despite his 1-for-7 start to the series.
What were Kwan’s numbers before Game 3?
Through the first two games, Kwan had one hit in seven at-bats, one walk and one run scored, according to the lineup report.
Did Cleveland change its lineup for Game 3?
No. The report said the Guardians’ lineup remained the same as in Game 2.
What was the result of Game 3?
NBC Sports’ related recap reported that Cleveland beat Chicago 9-3 on Wednesday, keeping its season alive and setting up Game 4.
What happens after Game 3?
Game 4 was scheduled for Thursday evening. Cleveland needed another win to force a decisive Game 5 in Cleveland on Saturday, according to the recap.
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