The Cleveland Guardians turned Game 1 of the American League Division Series into a comeback showcase Monday night, rallying from an early 0-2 deficit to beat the Tampa Bay Rays and open the series with a statement win.
What made it stand out even more was the way the offense unfolded. Tampa Bay sent AL Cy Young candidate Drew Rasmussen to the mound, and he kept Cleveland off the board through five innings.
Then the Guardians flipped the game piece by piece. Chase DeLauter broke through with a solo homer in the sixth, Patrick Bailey answered with a solo blast in the seventh, and the rest of the lineup did the heavy lifting late to bury the Rays.
That rally put Cleveland in a place no postseason team had ever been before.
“The [Cleveland Guardians] are the first team in MLB postseason history to get shut out through 5 innings but then score in the 6th, 7th, 8th & 9th,” OptaSTATS posted.
The @CleGuardians are the first team in MLB postseason history to get shut out through 5 innings but then score in the 6th, 7th, 8th & 9th. pic.twitter.com/yrcJ1TzH6n
- OptaSTATS (@OptaSTATS) October 13, 2026
Cleveland kept the pressure on after those two solo shots. Nathaniel Lowe delivered a two-run single in the eighth to break a tie, and the Guardians widened the gap in the ninth when Jose Ramirez singled and Jo Adell followed with a double to build the final four-run cushion.
The Guardians didn’t just punish Tampa Bay’s bullpen. They also started solving Rasmussen, who had looked sharp early. DeLauter and Bailey both failed to do much the first two times through the order, then adjusted and made him pay once they picked up on his stuff and patterns.
Cleveland’s offense is rolling right now. The Guardians have scored 27 runs over their last four games, including the series against the Chicago White Sox and the Rays, which works out to 6.75 runs per game.
And it hasn’t been just one or two bats carrying the load. Angel Martinez, Brayan Rocchio, and Travis Bazzana are among the few regular names that have been quiet, while the additions of Jo Adell, Nathaniel Lowe, and Patrick Bailey have given the lineup a major boost. Ramirez has also been outstanding over the last four games.
Right now, Cleveland’s offense looks deep, balanced, and hard to put away. Even when the Rays had them quiet early, the Guardians found their timing, made the adjustments, and kept coming until the game was theirs.
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