The Rays are headed to the World Series after finishing off the Guardians 7-3 in Game 6, and the night belonged to a lineup that kept finding ways to pile on once the game opened up.
It started with a quick reminder that this one had no shortage of traffic. Steven Kwan opened the game with a single in the first, one that Taylor Walls knocked down just past second base to keep it from turning into extra bases.
Freddy Peralta settled in from there and handled the next three outs. In the bottom half, Shawn Armstrong and the Guardians’ opener plan sent Tampa Bay down in order.
The Rays broke through in the second, and they did it with a chain of pressure plays that kept the inning alive. Junior Caminero singled to lead off, Chandler Simpson forced him out but stayed aboard, then stole second.
Victor Mesa Jr. worked a walk. Jonny DeLuca lined out down the third-base line to let Simpson move to third, and Mesa stole second to put both runners in scoring position.
Richie Palacios then ripped a double that cleared the bases and sent the Trop into a frenzy.
Armstrong was done after that, and the Guardians kept turning to arms as the inning kept stretching. Matt Festa entered, Taylor Walls walked, and Yandy Diaz was hit by a pitch. Jonathan Aranda flied out to end the inning, but the Rays had already punched across the first runs of the night.
They added another in the third. After Brayan Rocchio singled and Steven Kwan forced him out, Jose Ramirez walked.
Liam Hicks then had a challenge overturned on what became the third strike to end the inning. In the bottom half, Cleveland went to Joey Cantillo, and the Rays kept the line moving: Hicks singled, Caminero walked, Simpson dropped down a bunt and reached safely to load the bases, and Mesa Jr. reached on a force out that brought Hicks home.
DeLuca then lifted a sacrifice fly to left for another run before Palacios grounded out to end it.
The Guardians got a bit of life in the fourth when Jo Adell doubled and Nathaniel Lowe walked, but Taylor Walls made one of the defensive plays of the game. He intercepted a liner from Patrick Bailey between second and first, tagged Lowe, and fired to first to complete a double play that wiped out the inning in stunning fashion.
Walls kept contributing in the bottom of the frame with a leadoff walk, and Aranda was hit by a pitch with one out. Cleveland went back to the bullpen again, bringing in Daniel Espino with two outs to face Caminero, and that finally closed the inning.
Peralta kept the Guardians from making much progress until the sixth, when Chase DeLauter led off with a double that dropped in out in the outfield. With one out, Nathaniel Lowe singled to center to drive him in, and that was the end of Peralta’s night.
He finished with 5.1 innings, five hits, one run, one earned run, three walks and three strikeouts on 84 pitches. Cam Booser came on and finished the inning.
The Rays answered with another pitching change parade of their own in the home half, facing Erik Sabrowski. Richie Palacios opened with a single, Walls bunted him over and Diaz moved him up with an infield grounder, but Aranda struck out to end it.
Cleveland went quietly in the seventh, and then Tampa Bay delivered the big swing of the night in the bottom half. Cade Smith entered, Liam Hicks walked, and Caminero crushed a home run off the left-field foul pole. The celebration was immediate and loud, and the Rays had some breathing room.
The Guardians did make it interesting in the eighth. Tyler Wells took over for Tampa Bay, and an original call on DeLauter was overturned on challenge, turning the play into a single.
Lowe then added his second hit of the night. The Rays went to Ian Seymour, and the inning got messy fast: Travis Bazzana walked to load the bases, Patrick Bailey walked to force in a run, and Angel Martinez was hit by a pitch to bring in another.
Kevin Kelly entered and got the final out, but Cleveland had cut the gap.
Then Diaz slammed the door. After Walls drew his third walk of the night, Diaz launched a homer to the left-field bleachers to make it 7-3. He came back out of the dugout to fire up the crowd, and the Rays were one inning away.
Bryan Baker handled the ninth, and after taking care of the first out while covering first base, the Rays were down to their final batter to retire: Chase DeLauter. He popped out to Hicks, and that was it. The Rays were going to the World Series.
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