Guardians vs. Rays ALCS Game 1: Drew Rasmussen Faces Foster Griffin as Rested Tampa Bay Hosts Cleveland

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — The Tampa Bay Rays open the American League Championship Series on Monday night with their ace on the mound, a fully rested bullpen and a home crowd that has already shown it can rattle opponents. The Cleveland Guardians arrive riding the momentum of a three-game winning streak, but with a pitching staff stretched thin by a five-game Division Series.

First pitch for Game 1 is scheduled for 8 p.m. EDT at Tropicana Field. The game will air on TBS and truTV, with streaming on HBO Max.

The best-of-seven series matches the top two seeds in the American League. The Rays, who won the AL East at 98-64, are 57-26 on their home field, including the postseason.

Rasmussen gets the ball again

Tampa Bay manager Kevin Cash is turning to right-hander Drew Rasmussen, who is coming off one of the best postseason starts in franchise history.

Rasmussen finished the regular season 16-5 with a 2.67 ERA and made the All-Star team for the second straight season. He then opened the Division Series with an eight-inning, one-hit, 10-strikeout performance against the New York Yankees, carrying a no-hit bid deep into the game in a 1-0 victory.

That win came in a raucous Tropicana Field that hosted its first playoff game since Hurricane Milton tore off its roof two years ago, and it snapped a Rays streak of seven straight postseason losses.

"Yes, tonight was special," Rasmussen said after that outing.

Rasmussen also has a strong track record against Cleveland. In a July 26 meeting at Tropicana Field, he worked seven scoreless innings and struck out nine on just 87 pitches as Tampa Bay won 1-0 to complete a three-game sweep. He did not allow a hit after Steven Kwan's leadoff double.

"Just a well-executed, masterful performance," Cash said after that game.

Rasmussen also became the first starting pitcher to post an ERA below 3.00 in five consecutive seasons since Max Scherzer from 2015 to 2019.

Cleveland turns to Griffin

Cleveland manager Stephen Vogt chose left-hander Foster Griffin to start the opener, a decision shaped largely by the Guardians' grueling path to this round.

Because Gavin Williams pitched Saturday and likely is not available until Thursday's Game 3, and Parker Messick likely is not an option until Tuesday's Game 2, Vogt's choice came down to Tanner Bibee, Joey Cantillo, opener Daniel Espino and Griffin.

"It's a huge honor, Game 1 of an ALCS," Griffin said.

Griffin went 15-6 with a 3.60 ERA during the regular season, but his path to this moment has been unusual. In the past year, he has gone from Japan's Yomiuri Giants to the Washington Nationals, the All-Star Game, Cleveland and now the ALCS. He returned to the majors this year after three seasons in Japan, and the Guardians acquired him from Washington before the trade deadline.

His results after the trade were uneven, but he was sharp in his most recent outing. In relief during Cleveland's 9-3 win over the Chicago White Sox in Game 3 of the Division Series, he struck out seven and allowed one run over 2 2/3 innings.

The Guardians are hoping Griffin can work into or through the sixth inning before handing the game to a bullpen that has a 2.67 ERA with 39 strikeouts and nine walks over 27 postseason innings.

Guardians' comeback came at a cost

Cleveland reached its second ALCS in three years by rallying from a 2-0 deficit against the White Sox, winning three straight games to take the series. Williams struck out 12 over 5 2/3 innings in the deciding Game 5, a 2-0 win on Oct. 10, and José Ramírez hit a two-run homer. The Guardians' pitchers combined for 21 strikeouts in that game.

Ramírez recovered from a slow start in the series and finished the final three games with five hits in 12 at-bats, including four extra-base hits and seven RBIs. Jo Adell added four hits and five RBIs over the same stretch.

The extended series, however, forced Cleveland to lean heavily on its top relievers, including Cade Smith, Hunter Gaddis and Erik Sabrowski. If Griffin exits early, Vogt may have to turn to those arms again with little recovery time.

Rays rested after sweep

Tampa Bay swept the Yankees, clinching the series with a 4-3 win on Oct. 7 when Victor Mesa Jr. hit a two-run homer in the sixth inning. That gave the Rays several days off to set their pitching staff.

Closer Bryan Baker recorded saves in all three Division Series wins. The Rays are expected to use a four-man rotation in this series, likely including Rasmussen, Freddy Peralta and Nick Martinez, along with either Griffin Jax or Ian Seymour, with the other working out of the bullpen.

Offensively, Tampa Bay is led by Junior Caminero, Yandy Díaz and Jonathan Aranda. Aranda went 4-for-12 with a home run and no strikeouts against New York.

Head-to-head edge

The Rays won five of six regular-season meetings between the teams. Sportsbooks list Tampa Bay as a sizable favorite for Game 1, with the Rays at -169 on the money line and a run total of 6.5.

Cleveland's lineup does not strike out often, which could test Rasmussen's ability to put hitters away. During the regular season, the Guardians averaged just 7.83 strikeouts per game, though Rasmussen recorded at least six strikeouts in both of his starts against them.

Long droughts on the line

Both franchises are chasing history. The Guardians have not won the World Series since 1948, while the Rays are still seeking their first championship. Tampa Bay has reached the World Series twice, in 2008 and 2020, losing both times.

The winner of the series will face the winner of the National League Championship Series between the Los Angeles Dodgers and Milwaukee Brewers.

For Cleveland, the formula for Game 1 is clear: get length from Griffin, avoid an early deficit against Rasmussen and keep its bullpen fresh enough to compete deeper in the series. For Tampa Bay, the opener is a chance to press every advantage its rest and rotation have provided before the Guardians' top starters return to the mound.

Game 2 is scheduled for Tuesday at Tropicana Field.