ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — The Tampa Bay Rays defeated the Cleveland Guardians 7-3 Monday night to win the American League Championship Series 4-2 and advance to the World Series.
They will face the Brewers on Friday evening in Milwaukee.
Freddy Peralta pitched 5-1/3 serious innings, and Junior Caminero and Yandy Díaz each hit a two-run homer in Game 6 to lead the Rays.
This year will mark Tampa Bay’s third World Series appearance in 29 seasons. The Rays lost in 2008, falling in five games to the Philadelphia Phillies. They returned to the Fall Classic in the COVID-shortened 2020 season, losing in six games to the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Tampa Bay and Milwaukee are both seeking their first World Series title, the first time since 1980, when the Philadelphia Phillies beat the Kansas City Royals.
The loss extended Cleveland’s World Series championship drought to 78 years. The Guardians haven’t won the AL pennant since 2016, when they lost the World Series to the Chicago Cubs. They haven’t won the World Series since 1948.
On the 18th anniversary of their first AL pennant in 2008, the Rays took a 2-0 lead in the second inning on Richie Palacios’ two-run double and clinched it with closer Bryan Baker on the mound.
The Guardians didn’t give up and got the go-ahead run on first base in the eighth when Kevin Kelly struck out Brayan Rocchio to leave the bases loaded after two runs scored.
Peralta allowed one run and five hits to earn his second ALCS victory in his third appearance. He pitched six scoreless innings to win Game 2 and had two outs in relief in Game 4.
A sold-out crowd of 40,230 fans waved yellow and blue rally towels, rang bells and chanted “Let’s go Rays!” » all night at Tropicana Field, which was in need of major renovations after Hurricane Milton destroyed the roof two years ago and caused extensive damage throughout the stadium.
The Rays played their 2025 home games across the Bay in Tampa at the New York Yankees’ spring training complex, got new ownership before this season and agreed to a new stadium deal to be ready in 2029 near the NFL’s Buccaneers. They returned to the Trop to win 55 games in the regular season. Only Milwaukee has won as many at home this year.
After sweeping the Yankees in the Division Series, the Rays fell behind the Guardians 0-1 and 1-2 in this series before winning three straight games.
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