Rays beat Guardians 7-3 in Game 6 to win the AL pennant and reach the World Series
Yandy Díaz and Junior Caminero each hit a two-run homer, Freddy Peralta pitched 5 1/3 innings and the Tampa Bay Rays beat the Cleveland Guardians 7-3 in Game 6 of the American League Championship Series on Monday night, The Associated Press reported. The Rays won the series 4-2 and will face the Milwaukee Brewers in the World Series.
How it happened: Richie Palacios’ two-run double in the second inning gave Tampa Bay a 2-0 lead, and Jonny DeLuca’s sacrifice fly made it 3-0 in the third, the AP reported. Caminero’s two-run homer off the left-field foul pole in the seventh, his first career postseason homer, made it 5-1. After Cleveland scored twice in the eighth on a bases-loaded walk and a hit batter, Kevin Kelly struck out Brayan Rocchio with the bases loaded, and Díaz answered with a two-run homer off Hunter Gaddis in the bottom of the inning, according to the AP and ESPN’s scoring summary.
On the mound: Peralta, named ALCS MVP, allowed one run and five hits, the AP reported; ESPN’s box score credits him with three strikeouts and three walks. Cleveland used a bullpen game started by opener Shawn Armstrong, who took the loss, MLB.com and the AP reported.
What they said: “We got one more bite!” Rays manager Kevin Cash told his team as the clubhouse celebration started, the AP reported. Díaz had guaranteed a Game 6 win through an interpreter on Sunday, according to the AP. “It just hurts. It stings,” Guardians manager Stephen Vogt said. The loss extended Cleveland’s World Series title drought to 78 years, MLB.com reported.
What’s next: It is the Rays’ third pennant in 29 seasons, the AP reported. Neither the Rays nor the Brewers has won a World Series, so baseball will crown a first-time champion, MLB.com reported. Game 1 is Friday at 8 p.m. ET at American Family Field in Milwaukee, according to MLB.com.
Sources
- AP via ABC News — Díaz, Caminero and Peralta lead Rays to 7-3 win over Guardians and a trip to the World Series
- MLB.com — Rays finish off Guards to set up World Series clash vs. Crew
- MLB.com — ‘It hurts’: Guards’ incredible run ends 2 wins shy of World Series
- ESPN — Rays 7-3 Guardians (Oct 19, 2026) box score