Rays Beat Guardians 7-3 in Game 6 to Win AL Pennant, Will Face Brewers in World Series of Title Hopefuls

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — The Tampa Bay Rays are going to the World Series.

Yandy Díaz and Junior Caminero homered, Freddy Peralta pitched into the sixth inning and the Rays beat the Cleveland Guardians 7-3 on Monday night in Game 6 of the American League Championship Series, clinching the pennant at Tropicana Field.

Tampa Bay won the series 4-2 after taking the final three games, including two on the road in Cleveland over the weekend.

The Rays will face the National League champion Milwaukee Brewers in a World Series between two franchises that have never won a championship. Game 1 is scheduled for Friday night in Milwaukee.

Early lead holds up

The Rays jumped ahead early and never trailed.

Tampa Bay scored twice in the second inning and added a run in the third to take a 3-0 lead against a Cleveland pitching staff that used eight pitchers on the night. Guardians starter Joey Cantillo lasted just 1 2/3 innings, allowing one run on two hits with two walks.

Peralta kept Cleveland's lineup in check. The right-hander allowed one run on five hits over 5 1/3 innings, walking three and striking out three to earn the win.

The Guardians got on the board in the sixth inning, cutting the deficit to 3-1. But the Rays answered with two runs in the seventh and two more in the eighth to pull away.

Cleveland scored twice in the eighth against reliever Tyler Wells to make it 7-3, but Tampa Bay's bullpen closed it out. Cam Booser and Kevin Kelly combined to retire the final batters as the Rays sealed the pennant before a raucous home crowd.

Power and patience

Caminero, the Rays' young third baseman, went 2 for 4 with a homer, two RBIs, a walk and two runs scored. Díaz, the veteran designated hitter, hit a two-run homer.

Richie Palacios added two hits, including a double, and drove in two runs. Shortstop Taylor Walls didn't record a hit but walked three times and scored a run, part of a patient approach that saw Tampa Bay draw eight walks.

The Rays finished with seven hits, matching Cleveland's total, but made the most of their opportunities.

Guardians fall short

Cleveland's offense struggled to break through. Nathaniel Lowe had two hits and drove in a run, and Chase DeLauter added two hits, including a double, and scored twice.

Star third baseman José Ramírez went 0 for 5, and the Guardians went 1 for 6 with runners in scoring position.

Cleveland's bullpen, a strength during the season, allowed home runs to Díaz and Caminero as the Rays extended their lead. Relievers Hunter Gaddis and Cade Smith each gave up two runs.

The Guardians' loss extends the franchise's World Series title drought, which dates to 1948, one of the longest in Major League Baseball.

A long-awaited return

The pennant sends Tampa Bay to its first World Series in a full season since 2008. The Rays also reached the Fall Classic in the pandemic-shortened 2020 season.

Tampa Bay lost both of those appearances: to the Philadelphia Phillies in 2008 and the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2020.

The Rays have built a reputation for consistent success despite one of baseball's smallest payrolls, relying on player development, analytics and creative roster management.

Monday's win also marked a special moment for fans at Tropicana Field, where the Rays celebrated the pennant at home.

Brewers await

Tampa Bay will face a Milwaukee team that won 100 games during the regular season, the most in franchise history. The Brewers earned home-field advantage in the World Series.

Milwaukee advanced by winning the National League pennant over the Los Angeles Dodgers, ending the Dodgers' bid for a third straight championship.

The Brewers are making their first World Series appearance since 1982, when they lost to the St. Louis Cardinals in seven games as a member of the American League.

The matchup guarantees a first-time champion. Neither the Rays, who began play in 1998, nor the Brewers, who began as the Seattle Pilots in 1969 before moving to Milwaukee in 1970, has won a World Series.

World Series schedule

The series opens with Games 1 and 2 in Milwaukee on Friday and Saturday nights, with first pitch scheduled for 8 p.m. EDT. The series then shifts to Tropicana Field for Games 3 and 4 on Monday and Tuesday.

The Rays will have several days to rest and set up their pitching rotation before the opener.