The Rays needed a response in Game 2 of the ALCS, and they got one from a pair of deadline additions who changed the tone of the night. Freddy Peralta delivered a big outing, and Liam Hicks supplied the decisive swing with a two-run single in Tampa Bay’s 3-1 win over the Cleveland Guardians.
That result pulled the series even and spared the Rays from heading on the road in a 2-0 hole. Instead, they leave with momentum, and the kind of game that makes front-office moves look a lot smarter in October.
Hicks was one of those moves. Tampa Bay picked him up from the Miami Marlins at the trade deadline, taking advantage of a breakout season in his second full year in the majors. He didn’t hide how much the moment meant to him afterward.
“Super grateful. Loved being in Miami, so yeah nothing but good things to say about them there.
But being able to play in the playoffs is obviously something pretty special, and being able to do it with a club like this. They've made me feel like I've been a part of this team for so much longer than it has been.
It's such a special group and so fun to be a part of them,” Hicks said in his postgame presser, via Ryan Bass of MLB TV.
“It’s such a special group.”
— Ryan Bass (@Ry_Bass) October 14, 2026
Liam Hicks on his gratitude for joining the #Rays at the deadline and contributing to a pennant chase. pic.twitter.com/rmzLLJWDsy
The swing stood out even more because Hicks had been quiet in the postseason before that point. He came into Game 2 with just one hit in 14 plate appearances this October, so his clutch knock against Cleveland was a noticeable turn.
Still, the Rays knew what they were getting when they brought him in. Hicks hit 18 home runs, drove in 82 runs and posted an .801 OPS during the regular season, production that made him one of the better two-way catchers around. If Tampa Bay is going to keep moving through this postseason, nights like this one from Hicks will matter.
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Forecasted rain in Cleveland prompted the adjustment, a move MLB made to keep the series on schedule and reduce the risk of weather complications. For Tampa Bay, it means a much different rhythm for a game that suddenly has even more weight, with the next swing in the series now coming in the middle of the day instead of under the lights. [Read more 🡒]