The Cleveland Guardians struck first in the American League Championship Series, beating the Tampa Bay Rays 7-3 in Game 1 on Monday night at Tropicana Field — a comeback win that handed the Rays their first loss of the postseason.
Nathaniel Lowe’s tiebreaking two-run single in the eighth inning broke the game open, capping a rally built on solo home runs by Chase DeLauter and Patrick Bailey off Tampa Bay ace Drew Rasmussen. José Ramírez went 3-for-5 with an RBI, and Cleveland collected 14 hits in total. The Rays had struck first through RBI singles by Junior Caminero and Jonny DeLuca and a solo homer from Cedric Mullins, but managed nothing after the fourth inning against a Guardians bullpen that threw five innings of one-run, two-hit ball.
The eighth-inning swing
Rasmussen, a potential AL Cy Young finalist, carried a 2-0 lead into the sixth before DeLauter’s opposite-field homer and Bailey’s towering 436-foot shot ended his night. Ramírez led off the eighth with an infield single, DeLauter ripped a double, and Lowe lined an 0-2 pitch up the middle to drive in two. Cade Smith, who pitched in all five games of the ALDS against Chicago, tossed a perfect ninth to seal it.
For Cleveland, the win was a fourth straight in these playoffs and continued a remarkable October: the Guardians became only the 11th team to overcome an 0-2 deficit in a best-of-five series when they eliminated the Chicago White Sox on Saturday. Tampa Bay, which had swept the New York Yankees without trailing, finally looked mortal.
Game 2 looms
The series resumes Tuesday night at Tropicana Field, with rookie left-hander Parker Messick starting for Cleveland against Tampa Bay right-hander Freddy Peralta. “It’s been a while since we’ve lost,” Rays manager Kevin Cash said afterwards, according to team reporters. “That’s a good thing. I know the guys will come back and respond tomorrow.” As AP’s game report notes, Cleveland scored all seven of its runs in the sixth inning or later. More baseball context: our pieces on the Colts’ London win and the NFL’s international slate.
