Rays beat Guardians again, return home one win from World Series berth

Marc Topkin, Tampa Bay Times on Oct 18, 2026

Published in Baseball

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CLEVELAND — The Rays are coming home, and they’ll be ready to party.

After beating the Guardians 3-1 on Sunday evening, they hold a three-games-to-two lead in the American League Championship Series, and need one win to advance to the World Series for the third time in franchise history.

Even better for them, they’ll have two chances to get it at Tropicana Field, where they have the best record in the majors, starting with Game 6 on Monday night with Freddy Peralta on the mound. If there is a Game 7, it would be Tuesday, with the winner going on to face the Brewers, with the series opening Friday in Milwaukee.

Ace Drew Rasmussen led the way for the Rays on Sunday, as he has so many times this season, working seven dominant innings. He allowed the Guardians one hit through five shutout innings, then three singles and a run over the next two.

The Rays built an early lead after scoring single runs in each of the first three frames and forcing the Guardians into a second straight bullpen day by knocking out starter Parker Messick. Messick was removed after throwing two innings and 57 pitches.

The Rays scored in the first when Jonny DeLuca drew a two-out, bases-loaded walk. But Chandler Simpson deserved the most credit for hustling down the line to beat out a grounder to shortstop for an infield single that extended the inning.

Yandy Diaz got the Rays started with a leadoff double laced hard to center. Ryan Vilade drew a one-out walk from Messick, and Simpson loaded the bases with his two-out infield single. DeLuca drew a five-pitch walk for the 1-0 lead.

The Rays made it 2-0 in the second. Ben Williamson led off with a single, went to second on a single by Diaz and scored on a single by Jonathan Aranda.

Diaz and Aranda, along with Caminero, are the Rays’ “Big Three” hitters, who until Saturday had contributed little in the series. Messick struck out Vilade and Caminero to keep Tampa Bay’s lead at 2-0.

But the Rays added on in the third against lefty Tim Herrin, the first of five Cleveland relievers used.

Simpson did most of the work, leading off with a double, stealing third and scoring on a bloop single by Liam Hicks.

Rasmussen worked seven innings, allowing one run on four hits and a walk with six strikeouts. The Rays have gone 14-1 in his regular- and postseason starts since the All-Star break, and he is 11-0.

The Guardians got to him quickly in the sixth as Steven Kwan, a close friend and college teammate at Oregon State, singled with one out. Kwan went to third when Jose Ramirez singled on the next pitch and scored when Aranda fielded a Chase DeLauter grounder but could only get the out at first.

Rasmussen allowed a single to open the seventh and the Rays had the bullpen in action. But Rasmussen got Travis Bazzana to pop out and Andrew Bailey to hit into an inning-ending double play on his 95th and final pitch of the night.

Cam Booser and Tyler Wells got the Rays through the eighth, and Bryan Baker finished for his fifth save of the postseason and 46th of the season overall, including a run of 35 straight.

Baker made it interesting with a leadoff walk, then the Rays got only one out on a double-play ball when second baseman Richie Palacios bounced the throw to first and Aranda couldn’t make the scoop. But Baker recovered.

The 2008 Rays beat the Red Sox in a seven-game ALCS — clinching, by the way, on Oct. 19 at home — then lost to the Phillies 4-1 in the World Series.

The Rays also advanced to the ALCS in the 2020 pandemic season, beating the Astros 3-2 in games played at a neutral site in San Diego. They then lost 4-2 to the Dodgers in the World Series, with the games played in Arlington, Texas.

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