The American League Championship Series is knotted up again after the Tampa Bay Rays rolled past the Cleveland Guardians 7-3 in Game 4 on Saturday.
Tampa Bay got the kind of balanced night it needed, with Jonathan Aranda, Yandy Díaz and Junior Caminero combining to drive in five runs. That was a sharp turnaround for the trio, which had managed just one RBI over the first three games of the series. Aranda put together a three-hit performance, Caminero added a double, and Díaz delivered a two-run homer in the ninth to keep the Rays moving.
“A lot of really good at-bats. A lot of hard hits,” Rays manager Kevin Cash said. “Overall, just happy that Junior squared some balls up, Aranda came through in a big way for us, and then Yandy there at the end with a two-run, add-on homer.”
On the mound, Nick Martinez gave Tampa Bay exactly what it needed early. The starter held Cleveland to one run on two hits across 5 1/3 innings, and the Rays bullpen did the rest. Freddy Peralta, who had started Game 2, came out of the bullpen along with four other relievers and together they surrendered two earned runs over the final 3 2/3 innings.
“He saved me, he saved our game today,” Martinez said of Peralta pitching in relief. “Not ideal to walk the leadoff guy up 2-1 late in the game. He came in during a big spot, and those were a huge couple of outs for us.”
Cleveland had its moments, too. Travis Bazzana launched his first career playoff homer, while Chase DeLauter and Brayan Rocchio each knocked in a run.
But the Guardians couldn’t make the most of their chances, leaving five runners on base and coming up empty with two on in the seventh against Ian Seymour. They also had multiple defensive mistakes that proved costly.
“A couple unfortunate plays for us tonight that we usually complete and just weren't able to do it,” Cleveland manager Stephen Vogt said.
Game 5 is set for Sunday at 5:08 p.m. ET at Progressive Field, with the series then shifting back to Tampa Bay on Monday. Rookie left-hander Parker Messick will start for the Guardians, while right-hander Drew Rasmussen gets the ball for the Rays.
In Other News...
Junior Caminero Just Delivered A Statement The Rays Needed Most
Junior Caminero had been putting together the kind of at-bats the Rays could live with, even before the ball started leaving the yard. In Game 6, though, the production finally matched the process, as his two-run homer in the seventh inning stretched Tampa Bays lead to 5-1 at a crucial moment with the World Series in sight.
It was a welcome breakthrough for a young hitter who had been working through some earlier struggles, and it came with the sort of timely impact that can change the tone of a postseason run. Kevin Cash had already pointed to Camineros quality at-bats, and now the Rays have a reminder that even when the numbers have lagged, the contact has not gone away. [Read more 🡒]
Guardians Turn To An Unexpected Arm In Must Win Game 6
The Guardians are reaching for a different look as their season hangs in the balance, turning to right-hander Shawn Armstrong as the opener for Game 6. It is the kind of October move that says plenty about where things stand, especially after Tampa Bay got a steady lift from Drew Rasmussen in Game 5, when he worked seven innings and allowed just one run.
Cleveland had hoped rookie Parker Messick could settle the matchup early, but he was gone after a brief outing and the margin for error only shrinks from here. Freddy Peralta is lined up to take the ball for Tampa Bay in Game 6 after a strong run of recent starts, leaving the Rays with a more familiar script and the Guardians searching for a way to keep the series alive. [Read more 🡒]
Rays One Win Away As Game 6 Bat Could Change Everything
The Rays head into Game 6 with a chance to punch their ticket to the World Series, and the questions around how this one plays out are as much about power as they are about pressure. Tampa Bay has leaned on timely offense all series, and as the matchup shifts again, the focus lands on whether this game turns into one of those nights when a single swing can tilt everything.
Jonathan Aranda has become one of the more intriguing names in the conversation after what he has done at the plate lately, while Cleveland still has Jos Ramrez as the kind of bat that can change the tone of a postseason game in one at-bat. On the mound, Freddy Peralta gives Tampa Bay a strong starting point, and Clevelands bullpen approach means the Rays may not get many clean looks before the late innings decide whether the series ends here or heads back for one more round. [Read more 🡒]