Update (4:07 p.m. ET, Monday): The starting lineups for Guardians vs Rays ALCS Game 1 have been confirmed ahead of Monday’s 8 p.m. ET first pitch at Tropicana Field.
The Cleveland Guardians and Tampa Bay Rays open the American League Championship Series on Monday, Oct. 12 at Tropicana Field, with first pitch set for 8 p.m. ET. The Guardians arrive on little sleep after completing a comeback from an 0-2 deficit against the Chicago White Sox, while the Rays have had four days of rest since sweeping the New York Yankees in the ALDS. The Guardians vs Rays ALCS Game 1 lineups now give fans a full look at how each manager plans to attack the series opener.
Cleveland finished the regular season 85-77 and needed every bit of a Game 5 win to reach this point, beating the White Sox 2-0 behind a playoff-record 21 strikeouts from its pitching staff, according to Yahoo Sports. Tampa Bay posted an AL-best 98-64 mark and has not lost since its ALDS-clinching win at Yankee Stadium last Wednesday.
ALCS Game 1 Information
- Date: Monday, Oct. 12
- Time: 8 p.m. ET
- Venue: Tropicana Field, St. Petersburg, Florida
- TV/Streaming: TBS, truTV
- Series: ALCS, Series starts 10/12
- Weather: 80 degrees, 0% chance of precipitation
Confirmed Starting Lineups
The Guardians vs Rays ALCS Game 1 lineups are set, with both clubs sending out their regular postseason alignments. Cleveland manager Stephen Vogt will bat Steven Kwan leadoff in left field, followed by Jose Ramirez at third base, Chase DeLauter in right field, Jo Adell as the designated hitter and Nathaniel Lowe at first base. Travis Bazzana, Patrick Bailey, Petey Halpin and Brayan Rocchio round out the bottom of the order.
Tampa Bay counters with Yandy Diaz as the designated hitter, Jonathan Aranda at first base and Junior Caminero at third base in the middle of the lineup. Ryan Vilade, Victor Mesa Jr. and Jonny DeLuca fill the outfield, with Ben Williamson, Taylor Walls and Nick Fortes completing the order at second base, shortstop and catcher.
The Guardians also adjusted their 26-man ALCS roster Monday, adding right-hander Slade Cecconi and dropping utility man Daniel Schneemann, according to MLB.com. That leaves Cleveland with 14 position players and 12 pitchers for the series.
By The Numbers
- Regular-season record: Guardians 85-77, Rays 98-64
- Team batting average: Guardians .213 (5 games), Rays .208 (3 games)
- Postseason team ERA: Guardians 3.00, Rays 1.67
- Postseason WHIP: Guardians 1.11, Rays 0.70
- Postseason strikeouts per nine innings: Guardians 15.0, Rays 10.3
- Opponent batting average allowed: Guardians .185, Rays .130
- Postseason OPS allowed: Guardians .558, Rays .431
Guardians Outlook
Cleveland reached the ALCS as just the 11th team ever to overcome an 0-2 deficit in a best-of-five playoff series, according to FOX Sports. The Guardians posted a 3.00 postseason ERA and struck out 75 batters in 45 innings, a 15.0 strikeouts-per-nine rate that fueled the Game 5 shutout detailed in the Guardians’ ALDS-clinching win.
Chase DeLauter led the regular-season roster with a .287 average and 16 home runs, while Angel Martinez topped the team with 18 homers despite sitting out Game 5 after going 0 for 15 with eight strikeouts over the first four ALDS games. Jose Ramirez, who hit just .235 in the regular season, has homered in back-to-back playoff games as he rounds into form following surgery to repair a hamate bone in his left wrist in June.
Foster Griffin gets the Game 1 start for Cleveland after finishing the regular season 15-6 with a 3.60 ERA, a 1.21 WHIP and 158 strikeouts, according to FOX Sports. He takes the mound after a brief postseason appearance earlier this month and now has Cecconi behind him in a deepened bullpen.
Rays Outlook
Tampa Bay enters with a 1.67 postseason ERA and a 0.70 WHIP through three ALDS games, holding opponents to a .130 batting average. The Rays’ 10.3 strikeouts-per-nine mark reflects a pitching staff Rays manager Kevin Cash credited for similarities to Cleveland’s approach, saying, “I do think there’s more similarities than not. I feel Cleveland does mirror us or we mirror them. And I say that with the utmost respect to them, the way they develop pitching, the way they think about the game.”
Chandler Simpson led Tampa Bay with a .306 average, and Junior Caminero paced the club with 42 home runs and 101 RBIs, now slotted third in the confirmed Game 1 order. Drew Rasmussen gets the start for Tampa Bay off a regular season in which he went 16-5 with a 2.67 ERA, a 0.91 WHIP and 174 strikeouts, according to FOX Sports. Rays pitcher Griffin Jax pointed to the extra rest as a benefit, saying, “At the end of the day, I think it is an advantage having this rest.
The season is really long, 162 games, not a lot of off days. Bullpen was kind of wearing it towards the end of the year. Especially for the Rays relievers, with how the ALDS went, not having to rely on them as much as we necessarily did throughout the season was huge for those guys.”
Key Matchup
The series opener comes down to Griffin against Rasmussen, and the numbers favor the home team’s arm. Rasmussen has not allowed an earned run across his postseason work this October, while Griffin enters after a strong regular season and limited postseason action. Tampa Bay’s lineup also strikes out less than any team in the majors, a tough draw for a Guardians pitching staff that has leaned heavily on strikeouts, averaging 15.0 per nine innings in the playoffs. How Griffin handles a confirmed Rays order built around contact hitters like Diaz, Aranda and Walls will shape how long Cleveland’s bullpen needs to cover.
Players To Watch
Jose Ramirez, Guardians Third Baseman
Ramirez has gone deep in consecutive playoff games, including a two-run shot in the bottom of the fourth inning of Game 5 against the White Sox. Guardians starter Gavin Williams, who struck out 12 in that game, said of his teammate, “Jose’s the GOAT. He’s always one swing away.
We know that. We believe in him. We love him.”
Drew Rasmussen, Rays Starting Pitcher
Rasmussen prepared for his Game 1 assignment by watching Cleveland’s games proactively, according to ESPN. He takes the mound off a wild-card round outing in which he flirted with a no-hitter against the Yankees.
Junior Caminero, Rays Third Baseman
Caminero led Tampa Bay in both home runs (42) and RBIs (101) during the regular season, making him the central power threat in a confirmed Rays lineup that bats him third behind Diaz and Aranda.
What To Watch
Tampa Bay enters the ALCS seeking the third American League pennant in franchise history after sweeping the Yankees in the ALDS. Cleveland is seeking its first World Series appearance since 2016 and has not won a championship since 1948.
The travel and rest disparity is a storyline both sides have addressed directly. Guardians outfielder Jo Adell, now confirmed as Cleveland’s Game 1 designated hitter, said of the quick turnaround from ALDS celebrations to Florida, “We had our good bit of fun, for sure. And now we’re onto the next thing.”
Guardians manager Stephen Vogt struck a similar tone of urgency, saying, “I don’t think it’s really set in yet. But we’re here. The guys are excited.
We’re prepared. We’re ready to go. We’re playing some really good baseball right now.”
Both dugouts also carry personal history with their opponent. Rays manager Kevin Cash previously worked for Cleveland, while Vogt started his playing career with Tampa Bay in 2012. Rays designated hitter Yandy Diaz played for Cleveland before a trade after the 2018 season, and Guardians first baseman Nathaniel Lowe debuted with the Rays in 2019.
Game 2 of the ALCS follows at Tropicana Field, with the series shifting to Cleveland later in the round. Fans can also check the MLB DFS lineups for Oct. 12 and revisit how Cleveland closed out the ALDS in the Game 5 recap.
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