The Tampa Bay Rays made sure they wouldn’t leave home facing a two-game deficit in the American League Championship Series, defeating the Cleveland Guardians 3-1 Tuesday night at Tropicana Field to even the best-of-seven series at one game apiece.
Freddy Peralta delivered six scoreless innings, Liam Hicks drove in two runs, and Tampa Bay capitalized on a costly Cleveland error to take control of a game that had been scoreless through three innings. The Rays needed just one productive inning to secure the victory, but their pitching staff made sure it was enough.
The win was particularly important after Monday’s 7-3 loss, when Cleveland overcame an early deficit and scored six runs over the final three innings. This time, Tampa Bay protected its lead and prevented the Guardians from mounting another late comeback.
Peralta Dominates as Rays Capitalize on Cleveland Error
Peralta, acquired from the New York Mets during the season, continued his impressive turnaround with Tampa Bay. The right-hander allowed four hits and two walks while striking out six, keeping Cleveland off the scoreboard through six innings.
The performance was particularly impressive because of Peralta’s increased velocity. He reached 99.4 mph on a fifth-inning fastball to Jo Adell, the hardest pitch of his career, and threw 29 pitches above 97 mph. His fastball had averaged 94.3 mph during the regular season.
Tuesday’s outing also gave Tampa Bay’s bullpen a much-needed opportunity to protect a lead rather than recover from another late collapse.
The game’s decisive moment came in the fourth inning, when Cleveland third baseman José Ramírez allowed a ground ball from Ben Williamson to slip between his legs. The two-out error brought home Tampa Bay’s first run and extended the inning.
Hicks followed with a two-run single, extending the Rays’ lead to 3-0 and bringing the crowd of 32,125 to its feet.
All three runs were unearned against Guardians starter Parker Messick, who surrendered six hits over five innings. Messick had kept Tampa Bay scoreless through the first three innings before the defensive mistake changed the game.
Cleveland’s Comeback Falls Short
Cleveland finally threatened in the seventh, when Chase DeLauter delivered an RBI double to cut Tampa Bay’s lead to 3-1 and put the tying runs in scoring position.
But reliever Ian Seymour struck out Jo Adell to end the threat, then retired the Guardians in order in the eighth. Bryan Baker followed with a perfect ninth inning, earning his fourth save of the postseason.
For Cleveland, the defeat halted the momentum from its comeback victory in the series opener and its dramatic Division Series triumph over the Chicago White Sox. The Guardians had recovered from a 2-0 deficit against Chicago, winning three consecutive elimination games to advance to the ALCS.
Tampa Bay, meanwhile, restored some of the momentum that carried the club to 98 regular-season wins and a Division Series sweep of the New York Yankees.
Both Championship Series Continue
The series now shifts to Cleveland, where the Guardians will host the next three games, if necessary. Although Cleveland succeeded in taking one game on the road, Tampa Bay avoided the difficult task of overcoming a 2-0 deficit heading into hostile territory.
Game 3 is scheduled for Thursday, October 15, at noon CT, with coverage on TBS, truTV, and HBO Max. MLB moved the game from its originally scheduled evening start because of expected inclement weather. Griffin Jax is scheduled to start for Tampa Bay, with Gavin Williams expected to take the mound for Cleveland.
Meanwhile, the National League Championship Series resumes Wednesday night in Los Angeles, where the Milwaukee Brewers hold a 2-0 advantage over the Dodgers.
Milwaukee opened the series with a 2-1 victory Sunday before defeating Los Angeles 7-4 Monday. William Contreras played a major role in the second victory, collecting three hits, including a home run, and driving in three runs as the Brewers repeatedly answered Dodgers scoring threats.
The Dodgers now face the possibility of falling behind 3-0 in the best-of-seven series, while Milwaukee is two victories away from reaching the World Series.
Game 3 begins Wednesday at 7 p.m. CT on FS1. The teams will meet again Thursday at 7 p.m. CT.
