The Cleveland Guardians came up short Monday night, dropping Game 6 of the American League Championship Series, 7-3, to the Tampa Bay Rays and falling one win shy of their first World Series trip since 2016.
But in the aftermath, Stephen Vogt wasn’t interested in pointing fingers. The Cleveland manager kept his tone steady and made a point of praising his pitching staff for the way it battled through the final game.
“I mean, it didn't go perfectly, obviously, but everybody stepped up and pitched their tail off today, and too unfortunate. pitches that they added on. Credit to our guys; it's a gut punch there in the seventh,” Vogt said.
He kept going from there, focusing on how his club responded even after the Rays grabbed control.
“Our guys came right back and got the tying run at second, the winning run at go-ahead run at first, and our guys never quit. They never stop fighting.
That's who they are. And yeah, I thought our guys pitched excellently today.”
The defeat pushed Cleveland’s championship drought to 78 years. The Guardians have not won the World Series since 1948.
Junior Caminero and Yandy Diaz helped Tampa Bay finish the job and punch its ticket to the Fall Classic against the Milwaukee Brewers. That matchup ensures the Rays or Brewers will walk away with the first World Series title in either franchise’s history.
According to Opta Stats, it will be the first World Series in MLB history to feature two teams that have each been in the league for at least 25 seasons without winning a championship.
For Cleveland, the focus now shifts to the offseason after a stretch that ended with missed chances in the final three games. The Guardians will need a stronger showing in 2027 if they want another shot at reaching the World Series for the first time since 2016.
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Guardians Turn To An Unexpected Arm In Must Win Game 6
With their backs against the wall in Game 6, the Guardians are making a less conventional call on the mound by turning to right-hander Shawn Armstrong as the opener. It is the kind of move that speaks to the urgency of the moment, especially with the series slipping and Cleveland looking for any edge it can find against a Rays club that has been getting strong pitching at the right time.
Tampa Bay brings plenty of confidence into the matchup after Drew Rasmussen followed up with another dominant postseason showing in Game 5, while Freddy Peralta is lined up to get the ball for Game 6 after settling in quickly since arriving. Cleveland, meanwhile, is still trying to rebound from Parker Messick's rough recent start, and the Guardians' choice to hand the first inning to Armstrong only adds another layer of intrigue to a game they simply cannot afford to waste. [Read more 🡒]
Parker Messick Sent A Defiant Message Guardians Fans Will Love
Parker Messicks two innings in Game 5 were only a small part of a night that left the Guardians in a tough spot, as the Rays pulled out a 3-1 win and moved within one victory of the World Series. Even so, the young pitcher did not sound rattled after the loss, and his postgame message carried the kind of edge Cleveland fans tend to appreciate when the season is hanging in the balance.
The Guardians now head to Tropicana Field needing to win both remaining games to keep their postseason run alive, a steep ask against a Rays club that has already taken control of the series. Messicks confidence after his early exit offered a reminder that the mood inside the clubhouse is still pointed toward a comeback, even with the margin for error gone. [Read more 🡒]
Guardians Took A Risk With Parker Messick In The Worst Spot
The Guardians made a notable change behind the plate in Game 5 of the American League Championship Series, pairing Parker Messick with Patrick Bailey instead of Austin Hedges for the first time. It was the kind of move that spoke to the moment as much as the matchup, with manager Stephen Vogt leaning on Baileys strong bat while accepting the possibility that it could alter the rhythm Messick had built with his usual catcher.
It proved to be a tough night for the rookie. Messick got through only two innings and allowed two runs, and Cleveland never quite recovered in a 3-1 loss to the Tampa Bay Rays. In a postseason game where every small edge matters, the Guardians took a calculated swing on catching alignment, and the result only sharpened the question of whether the risk was worth it in the biggest spot. [Read more 🡒]