The Tampa Bay Rays defeated the Cleveland Guardians 7-3 on Monday night at Tropicana Field to win their third ever American League Pennant and advance to the 2026 World Series. The Rays eliminated Cleveland after winning the Best-of-7 American League Championship series four games to two.
Freddy Peralta (2-0, 1.08) had another awesome outing for the Rays in the postseason, pitching five and one-third innings in which he allowed one earned run on five hits while striking out three and walking three. Peralta was named the ALCS MVP. The team won both of the games he started and he got two big outs out of the bullpen in game four. Acquired from the Mets at the trade deadline, he has a 0.71 ERA for the Rays in his last ten appearances - and Tampa Bay has won all ten of those games.
The Rays got the offense started in the second with a two-run double from Richie Palacios. In the third inning Jonny DeLuca hit a sacrifice fly to make it 3-0. The Guardians got one back in the sixth inning when Nathaniel Lowe hit a RBI single, before Junior Caminero came through with a massive two-run homer in the seventh inning to take a 5-1 lead.
The Guardians were able to get two back in the eighth inning - both runs were credited to Tyler Wells, while Ian Seymour came in to relieve him and was unable to get an out. Kevin Kelly came in to relieve Seymour and and got the final out of the eighth inning and stop Cleveland's threat at 5-3.
Moments later Yandy Diaz hit a two-run home run in the bottom of the eighth to make it 7-3, which would prove to be the final score. Bryan Baker came in to get the final three outs of the ninth inning as the Rays clinched their third American League Pennant. The 2026 Rays joins the 2008 and 2020 teams in advancing to the Fall Classic, and it was the first time the Rays won the American League Pennant at Tropicana Field since October 19, 2008 - 18 years to the day.
The Rays will now face the Milwaukee Brewers in the 2026 World Series which begins on Friday night. Game one will be in Milwaukee on Friday night and is scheduled for a first pitch of 8:00 PM - pregame coverage begins with Ronnie Lane hosting Inside Pitch at 7:00 PM on 95.7 WDAE & AM 620, your Home of Rays Baseball.
COVER PHOTO COURTESY GETTY IMAGES