The Cleveland Guardians beat the Tampa Bay Rays 7-3 on Monday in Game 1 of the American League Championship Series at Tropicana Field, erasing an early deficit with six unanswered runs over the final three innings. Chase DeLauter went 3 for 4 with a home run, a double and three runs scored to lead the Guardians to a 1-0 series lead.
Tampa Bay led 2-0 after the first inning on run-scoring singles from Junior Caminero and Jonny DeLuca. Cleveland answered with solo homers from DeLauter in the sixth and Patrick Bailey in the seventh to tie the game, then broke it open with a three-run eighth and a two-run ninth. Cole Sulser took the loss after allowing three runs in two-thirds of an inning, and Drew Rasmussen’s quality start went for naught despite seven strikeouts across six innings.
Takeaways From Guardians’ Win Over Rays
Cleveland’s bullpen shut the door after a shaky start
Guardians starter Foster Griffin allowed two runs over four innings, but Cleveland’s relief corps of Daniel Espino, Joey Cantillo, Hunter Gaddis and Cade Smith combined for five scoreless innings with five strikeouts. Only Erik Sabrowski allowed a run, surrendering Cedric Mullins’ eighth-inning homer. Gaddis earned the win with a scoreless inning.
The eighth inning flipped the game
Nathaniel Lowe’s two-run single in the eighth put Cleveland ahead 4-2, scoring Jose Ramirez and DeLauter. Mullins answered with a solo shot for Tampa Bay in the bottom half, but the Rays got no closer the rest of the way.
Ramirez and Adell delivered the knockout blow
Cleveland tacked on two runs in the ninth. Ramirez’s RBI single, upheld after Cleveland successfully challenged a call on the field, made it 5-3. Jo Adell followed with a two-run double to left, scoring DeLauter and Ramirez and putting the game out of reach at 7-3.
Player Of The Game: Chase DeLauter
DeLauter finished 3 for 4 with a home run, a double, three runs scored, an RBI and a walk. His sixth-inning solo homer, a 381-foot shot to left center, got Cleveland on the board and began the comeback.
Guardians Vs Rays By The Numbers
Cleveland out-hit Tampa Bay 14-7 and scored seven runs on those 14 hits. The Guardians struck out 10 times at the plate but limited the Rays to seven hits over nine innings on the mound. Rasmussen allowed eight hits and two earned runs for Tampa Bay across six innings.
The Rays’ bullpen surrendered five runs on six hits over three innings. Cleveland went 2 for 2 on stolen base attempts while Tampa Bay was caught once in two tries. The Guardians committed no errors in the win.
What’s Next
The Guardians lead the series 1-0. Game 2 is scheduled for Tampa Bay at Tropicana Field.
Don't stop here
Every Score. Every Story. One Home.
Breaking sports, entertainment and news from across the Total Apex network, updated all day.
Get the Full Story →
