The Rays are one win from the World Series, and Yandy Díaz isn’t bothering to hide what he thinks happens next.
After Tampa Bay’s 3-1 win over the Cleveland Guardians in Game 5 of the American League Championship Series on Sunday at Progressive Field, the Rays grabbed a 3-2 lead in the best-of-seven and sent the series back to Tropicana Field for Game 6 on Monday night. A Game 7 would follow on Tuesday, but Díaz sounded like he expects the matchup to be over before that ever matters.
“It all ends tomorrow. We’re gonna win tomorrow,” Díaz said.
Díaz also didn’t miss the chance to salute Drew Rasmussen, who turned in a dominant start by allowing one run across seven innings in Game 5.
“I think he’s the best pitcher in the MLB.”
That kind of quote is bound to resonate in Cleveland, especially because Díaz spent the start of his big league career with the Guardians before being traded to Tampa Bay in a three-team deal in December 2018. Since then, he’s become one of the American League’s steadiest bats, winning a batting title in 2023 and putting together a strong 2026 season with 22 home runs at age 35.
Rasmussen’s numbers back up the praise. He’s 2-0 with a 1.29 ERA this postseason, and he has limited Cleveland to three runs over 13 innings in this series. Across the regular season and playoffs, he’s 2-0 with a 2.16 ERA and 30 strikeouts in four starts against the Guardians this year.
Tampa Bay also has the home-field edge of a strong regular season behind it, going 55-26 at Tropicana Field. Cleveland did take Game 1 in Tampa, though, and Gavin Williams is set to start a possible Game 7 on regular rest.
For now, all eyes are on Monday night. Díaz says the Rays finish it there. The Guardians get one more chance to prove him wrong.
In Other News...
Guardians Loss May Have Quietly Set Up The Rest Of This Series
The Guardians did enough early to make Game 4 feel like a chance to even the ALCS, but the game slipped away once the Rays pushed across runs in the sixth and seventh innings. Even so, the loss may not have been as damaging as it first looked, because Cleveland managed to avoid leaning too heavily on the bullpen and preserve its most important relief arms for the rest of the series.
That matters with the matchup still hanging in the balance, especially after Tampa Bay also went through several pitchers in the same game. Both clubs now have some moving pieces to sort through on the mound, and the way each staff is managed over the next few days could end up shaping the rest of the series just as much as the score from Game 4. [Read more 🡒]
Guardians Face A Real October Decision On Travis Bazzana
Travis Bazzana has given the Guardians enough at the plate to keep his name in the lineup conversation, but the glove has made things a little less straightforward as October has worn on. The rookie second baseman has flashed real offensive value, yet his seven errors at the position have become hard to ignore, and the latest reminder came in a recent game against the Rays.
Stephen Vogt has already shown he is willing to make a late-game switch at second, turning to Angel Genao in postseason situations to tighten things up defensively. So the question hanging over Cleveland is a familiar one for any contender with a young infielder in the spotlight: how much offense can they afford to keep in the lineup if the defense keeps giving away outs? [Read more 🡒]
Travis Bazzana May Have Just Changed Cleveland's ALCS Outlook
Travis Bazzana delivered his best postseason game yet in Game 4 of the American League Championship Series, reaching base three times against the Tampa Bay Rays and giving Cleveland a jolt when it needed one. The rookie second baseman finished with a home run, a walk, a run scored and an RBI, and his first career playoff homer helped spark a rally even in a loss.
For a Guardians lineup that has been searching for steady production in a tight series, Bazzana's timing mattered almost as much as the box score. Cleveland did not finish the job, but the performance helped level the matchup at two games apiece and hinted at a player who may be starting to settle into the postseason stage at exactly the right time. [Read more 🡒]