Guardians beat Rays 7-3 in ALCS Game 1 after late rally
Key takeaways
- Cleveland scored seven runs in the last four innings to win 7-3 in Game 1.
- Nathaniel Lowe hit the go-ahead single in the eighth inning in St Petersburg.
- Game 2 is Tuesday night, with Parker Messick set to start for Cleveland.
Cleveland beat Tampa Bay 7-3 in Game 1 of the ALCS on Monday night. The Guardians scored all seven runs late in the game. They now lead the series 1-0.
The ALCS is the round before the World Series. ALCS stands for American League Championship Series. The winner of this round goes to the World Series.
What happened
Tampa Bay started fast in front of its home fans. The Rays scored two runs in the first inning. Yandy Diaz doubled to start the game.
Junior Caminero drove him in with a single. Jonny DeLuca added one more run with a single. Tampa Bay led 2-0 early.
Cleveland starter Foster Griffin gave up two runs in four innings. He allowed five hits in that span. He struck out three batters.
He walked none, according to Reuters.
Rays starter Drew Rasmussen held Cleveland down for five innings. He gave up no runs in that span. Cleveland hitters made him work hard.
They fouled off many pitches.
The game turned in the sixth inning. Rookie Chase DeLauter led off with a home run. It was his first home run in the playoffs.
The ball flew over the wall in left center. Cleveland cut the lead to 2-1.
Patrick Bailey tied the game in the seventh inning. He hit a home run on the first pitch. The ball went over the center field wall.
The score stood 2-2.
Rasmussen left the game after the Bailey home run. He gave up two runs on eight hits. He struck out seven batters.
He walked none in six-plus innings.
The eighth inning broke the game open. Jose Ramirez started with an infield single. DeLauter followed with a double.
Nathaniel Lowe then hit a two-run single to center. Cleveland led 4-2.
Lowe hit his big single on an 0-2 pitch. The count means two strikes and no balls. He faced reliever Ian Seymour.
The hit gave Cleveland its first lead of the night.
Tampa Bay answered fast in the bottom of the eighth. Cedric Mullins hit a solo home run. That means one run on one swing.
The Rays cut the lead to 4-3.
Cleveland pulled away in the ninth inning. Ramirez drove in one more run. Jo Adell then hit a two-run double.
Ramirez and DeLauter both scored on that hit. The final score was 7-3.
Cleveland finished with 14 hits in the game. Ramirez and DeLauter had three hits each. The Guardians scored seven runs in the final four innings.
Tampa Bay managed only three runs in total.
Hunter Gaddis got the win for Cleveland. He pitched one scoreless inning. Cade Smith closed the game in the ninth.
He retired all three batters he faced.
Tampa Bay also made key mistakes late. A ninth-inning grounder rolled past the infield, according to DRaysBay. It stretched the Cleveland lead.
The Rays could not recover after that play.
Our Game 1 preview set the stage for this matchup. The game lived up to that billing. It stayed close for five innings.
Then Cleveland took over late.
Why it matters
Game 1 matters because the road team stole the early edge. Tampa Bay had home fans behind them. Cleveland still won the opener.
Now the Guardians need only three more wins.
The series uses a best-of-seven format. The first team to win four games moves on. A 1-0 lead is not safe.
But it puts pressure on Tampa Bay.
Cleveland is hot at the right time. The Guardians trailed 2-0 in the last round. They won three games in a row to survive.
They have now won four playoff games in a row.
Ramirez keeps driving in runs. He has an RBI in four straight playoff games. RBI means a hit that scores a run.
That ties a team playoff record. Sandy Alomar set the mark in 1997. Jim Thome matched it in 1998-99.
DeLauter is a rookie making a big mark. He hit his first playoff home run. He had three hits in Game 1.
He also scored runs in key spots.
Tampa Bay lost for the first time in a while. The Rays had not lost since Sept. 27. That last loss was a 7-3 defeat to Philadelphia.
Manager Kevin Cash said his team will respond in Game 2.
The Rays bullpen had a hard night. The bullpen means the relief pitchers. They gave up key runs late.
Tampa Bay must pitch better to win Game 2.
In the other league series, the Brewers beat the Dodgers 2-1 in their NLCS opener. Both league series started with road wins. Both home teams now face pressure in Game 2.
What happens next
Game 2 is on Tuesday night in St Petersburg. The game stays at Tropicana Field.
Tampa Bay gets one more home game. Then the series moves to Cleveland.
Fans looking for MLB tonight get Game 2 on Tuesday night. It is the only game on the league slate. All eyes will be on St Petersburg.
Parker Messick will start for Cleveland. He is a 25-year-old rookie left-hander. He had a 2.56 ERA in the regular season.
ERA is a simple way to measure runs allowed.
Messick grew up near Tampa Bay. He is from Plant City, Florida. He watched Rays games at Tropicana Field as a kid.
Game 2 is a homecoming for him.
Freddy Peralta will start for Tampa Bay. He joined the Rays at the trade deadline. He pitched well in his last playoff start.
He gave up one run in 4.1 innings in that game.
The Rays must fix two problems. They must hit left-handed pitchers better. They struggled with that all season.
They must also play cleaner defense.
Cleveland wants a 2-0 lead. Two road wins would be huge. The Guardians would then head home with a big edge.
They would need only two more wins.
Tampa Bay wants to tie the series. A win in Game 2 resets the race. The Rays still have home fans on their side.
They have a fresh starter on the mound.
Fans should watch the early innings. Tampa Bay scored early in Game 1. Cleveland scored late in Game 1.
The team that scores first may set the tone.
The other series also moves to Game 2. Logan Henderson is set to start for Milwaukee. Both series could shift fast this week.
Game 1 showed how fast playoff baseball can flip. One swing can change a whole series. Game 2 will tell us if Cleveland stays hot.
Or if Tampa Bay fights back at home.
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