The Rays turned a weather delay into a swing in the series, and now the ALCS is tied again after Tampa Bay’s 7-3 win over the Guardians in Game 4.
Richie Palacios and Jonathan Aranda each finished with three hits for the Rays, but Aranda’s two-run single in the top of the seventh was the play that changed the game. Cleveland right fielder Chase DeLauter misplayed the ball, which let Aranda get to third, and Aranda later came home on a Chandler Simpson sacrifice fly.
Nick Martinez gave Tampa Bay a steady start, working 5 1/3 innings and allowing one run. It was his first win in 10 career postseason appearances.
Game 5, which had been scheduled as an off-day until Friday’s rain pushed Game 4 to Saturday, is now set for 4:08pm CT in Cleveland. Drew Rasmussen gets the ball for the Rays again after his Game 1 outing, when he threw six innings, allowed two earned runs on eight hits and no walks, and struck out seven, but the Guardians still pulled out a 7-3 win by getting to Tampa Bay’s bullpen.
Parker Messick will start for Cleveland. He was sharp in Game 2, holding the Rays scoreless over five innings, though a Jose Ramirez error opened the door to three unearned runs in Tampa Bay’s 3-1 victory.
On the Athletics front office search, the team still hasn’t made its hire. The question was raised in the October 10 edition of The Opener, and eight days later, the A’s are still without a new leader in the baseball operations chair.
Recent reporting suggests Red Sox assistant GM Taylor Smith may be the current favorite. Former GM David Forst was fired on August 7, giving the Athletics time to evaluate options, and there was also a top candidate in the mix until Phillies president of business ops Sam Fuld turned down the A’s offer. Since the league generally prefers clubs to hold off on major announcements until postseason off-days, any decision may not come out until after the ALCS ends.
In Other News...
As Face A Major Shea Langeliers Decision This Winter
The Athletics are headed into the winter with one of their most important roster calls still unresolved, and it comes at a time when the front office is in flux. The club has yet to hire a full-time president of baseball operations or general manager since Aug. 7, leaving the next decision-maker to inherit a tricky Shea Langeliers situation as the catcher heads toward an arbitration payday and eventual free agency after the 2028 season.
Langeliers remains one of the more valuable pieces on the roster, but the question is whether Oakland wants to keep building around him or consider a move while his market still has appeal. His recent injury only complicates the picture further, making both the timing and the return on any potential trade harder to pin down for a team that already has enough uncertainty on its hands. [Read more 🡒]