CLEVELAND — After digging themselves out of a two-game hole against the Chicago White Sox, the Cleveland Guardians are headed back to the American League Championship Series. Their reward? A date with the top-seeded Tampa Bay Rays, a team that gave Cleveland fits throughout the regular season.
The best-of-seven series begins Monday night at Tropicana Field, where the Guardians will attempt to carry the momentum of three consecutive victories into a matchup with a well-rested opponent. Cleveland needed all five games to eliminate Chicago, while Tampa Bay dispatched the New York Yankees in three.
The Guardians' 2-0 victory in Saturday's decisive Game 5 was particularly impressive. Gavin Williams struck out 12 batters over 5? innings, while José Ramírez supplied all the offense Cleveland needed with a two-run homer. The Guardians' pitching staff combined for 21 strikeouts, setting a major league record for a nine-inning postseason game.
It was a remarkable turnaround for a team that dropped the first two games of the series at home. Cleveland became the first team since the 2017 Yankees to overcome an 0-2 deficit in a best-of-five postseason series, and just the fourth to do so after losing the opening two games at home.
A Difficult Regular-Season Matchup
If the regular season is any indication, Cleveland has its work cut out for it. Tampa Bay won five of the six meetings between the clubs, shutting out the Guardians three times and never allowing more than three runs in a game.
The Rays finished the regular season with a 98-64 record, earning the American League's top seed. Cleveland, meanwhile, finished 85-77 despite claiming its third consecutive AL Central title.
Both teams rely heavily on pitching and defense, although Tampa Bay enjoyed considerably more offensive success during the regular season. The Rays posted a .728 team OPS, eighth in baseball, while Cleveland's .696 mark ranked 26th.
That difference could become especially important in a series where scoring opportunities figure to be limited. The Guardians cannot afford to waste chances against a pitching staff that has already demonstrated its ability to shut down their lineup.
Pitching Could Decide the Series
Tampa Bay will send Drew Rasmussen to the mound for Monday's opener, and Cleveland's hitters will be facing a pitcher coming off one of the most dominant performances of the postseason.
Rasmussen tossed eight scoreless innings against the Yankees in Game 1 of the Division Series, allowing just one hit while striking out 10. Tampa Bay eventually won that game 1-0, setting the tone for its sweep.
Cleveland's pitching staff was equally impressive in the final two games against Chicago, but the Guardians needed contributions from nearly everyone to complete their comeback. Williams earned the save in Game 4 before returning the following night to start Game 5, becoming just the third pitcher in postseason history to finish one elimination game and start the next. Relievers Erik Sabrowski, Hunter Gaddis, and Cade Smith also delivered important performances during the comeback.
Manager Stephen Vogt will have to balance the urgency of winning the opening games with the need to keep his pitching staff fresh throughout a potentially seven-game series.
José Ramírez Must Lead the Offense
Cleveland's lineup struggled through the opening two games against Chicago before erupting for nine runs in each of the next two contests. Not surprisingly, Ramírez was at the center of the turnaround.
The Guardians' star third baseman recorded five hits and seven RBIs over the final three games of the ALDS, including the decisive two-run homer in Saturday's clincher. After dealing with injuries during the regular season, Ramírez appears to be finding his form at exactly the right time.
Cleveland cannot expect Ramírez to carry the entire offense, however. The Guardians will need contributions throughout the lineup, particularly against a Tampa Bay staff that limited the Yankees to just five runs in three games.
The Guardians have already demonstrated that they can overcome adversity, but this series presents a different challenge. Tampa Bay is rested, owns home-field advantage, and dominated the regular-season meetings. Cleveland will need its pitching to remain sharp and its offense to capitalize on opportunities if it hopes to reach the World Series for the first time since 2016.
Notes
The series opens with two games in Tampa Bay on Monday and Tuesday before shifting to Progressive Field for Games 3 and 4 on Thursday and Friday. Cleveland will also host Game 5 on Saturday, if necessary, before the series returns to Tampa Bay for the final two games.
The winner will advance to the World Series against either the Milwaukee Brewers or Los Angeles Dodgers, who are meeting in the National League Championship Series.
