The Tampa Bay Rays now have exactly what they wanted: time.
Cleveland’s 9-5 win over the Chicago White Sox on Thursday night pushed the ALDS to a Game 5 on Saturday, and that means Tampa Bay gets to sit back a little longer before learning its ALCS opponent. For Kevin Cash and the Rays, that delay could matter a lot. They’ve already banked four days of rest after sweeping the Yankees, and the longer this series drags on, the better their pitching situation looks for Monday’s ALCS opener at Tropicana Field.
The Guardians did their part in a messy, momentum-swinging Game 4 at Rate Field. Chicago jumped out to a 2-0 lead, but Cleveland answered in the fifth when Patrick Bailey launched a solo homer and José Ramírez followed with a two-run blast to flip the game and put the Guardians ahead 3-2.
That edge didn’t last long. The White Sox punched back with two runs in the bottom of the fifth to retake the lead, but the sixth inning turned into the kind of collapse that can decide a series. Cleveland hung six runs on the board, with RBI singles coming from Bailey, Ramírez, Chase DeLauter and Jo Adell, who added two RBIs of his own.
Chicago’s bullpen took the hit, and Grant Taylor’s night was especially rough. He came in during the sixth and didn’t record an out, giving up four earned runs on four hits and two walks. That’s a development the Rays will keep an eye on if the White Sox somehow keep their season alive, since Taylor had been one of Chicago’s more dependable relief arms earlier in the series and throughout the year.
Now everything shifts to Saturday in Cleveland, where the Guardians will try to finish the comeback at home. The White Sox, meanwhile, are still trying to pull off what many thought was out of reach and reach the World Series after three straight 100-plus-loss seasons.
First pitch is set for 8 pm Eastern on TruTV and TBS.
In Other News...
Pedro Martinez Just Gave Rays Fans A New Yankees Taunt
Pedro Martinez added a little extra spice to Tampa Bays postseason win over the Yankees, and Rays fans hardly needed an introduction to why it landed. After New York was bounced from the playoffs, Martinez used his TBS postgame appearance to frame the rivalry in blunt, memorable terms, a fitting capper to a series in which the Rays leaned on pitching, defense and timely hitting while the Yankees never found much rhythm offensively.
Martinezs comment underscored how the balance in this matchup has shifted, at least for the moment, with Tampa Bay having the sharper edge in the games that mattered most. It also gave Rays supporters a fresh taunt to carry into the winter, the kind of line that can linger in a rivalry long after the final out. [Read more 🡒]
Yankees Sweep By Rays Put Aaron Boone Drama Back Front And Center
The Yankees ALDS sweep at the hands of the Rays did more than end their October run early. It also reopened the familiar debate around Aaron Boone, whose in-game choices came under scrutiny as the season fell apart, even as the broader issues facing New York go well beyond one managers decisions.
Cam Schlittler offered a public vote of confidence in Boone, framing the skipper as someone the clubhouse can rely on in a tense moment. Still, with the Yankees now weighing bigger questions about how to move forward, Boones standing remains part of a much larger offseason conversation that wont be settled by one players backing alone. [Read more 🡒]
Rays Are Keeping One Crucial ALCS Decision Under Wraps
The Rays have already started mapping out their American League Championship Series preparation, even if Kevin Cash is keeping one of the biggest pieces of it to himself for now. Tampa Bay used a simulated game as part of that work, a reminder that the club is deep into October planning while waiting to see how the bracket shakes out.
Cash said the team will hold off on announcing its pitching plan until it knows the opponent, whether that turns out to be the Guardians or the White Sox. One thing appears to be settled, though: Drew Rasmussen is expected to start Game 1, with Tampa Bay likely to lean on four starters as the series gets underway. [Read more 🡒]