Update (4:07 p.m. ET, Tuesday): The starting lineup for ALCS Game 2 between the Cleveland Guardians and Tampa Bay Rays has been confirmed, with Tampa Bay set to deploy Yandy Diaz as designated hitter and Junior Caminero at third base.
The Guardians vs Rays ALCS Game 2 matchup is set for Tuesday, Oct. 13 at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Florida, with Cleveland holding a 1-0 series lead after taking the opener 7-3. First pitch is scheduled for 8 p.m. ET.
Tampa Bay is looking to even the series on its home turf after dropping Game 1. The biggest question entering the night is whether the Rays’ pitching staff, the strength that carried them to the American League’s top seed, can slow down a Guardians lineup that is riding momentum from a comeback ALDS win over the White Sox.
ALCS Game 2 Information
- Date: Tuesday, Oct. 13
- Time: 8 p.m. ET
- Venue: Tropicana Field, St. Petersburg, Florida
- TV/Streaming: TBS, truTV, ERADM
- Series: ALCS, Cleveland leads 1-0
What Does The Confirmed Rays Lineup Look Like?
Tampa Bay’s starting lineup for Guardians vs Rays ALCS Game 2 has been confirmed, according to official league data. Yandy Diaz will serve as designated hitter, with Jonathan Aranda at first base and Junior Caminero at third. Victor Mesa Jr. is in right field, Jonny DeLuca in center and Chandler Simpson in left, while Ben Williamson plays second base, Liam Hicks catches and Taylor Walls starts at shortstop.
Caminero led the Rays with 42 home runs and 101 RBIs during the regular season, and his spot in the middle of the order puts him behind Diaz as the primary power threat facing Cleveland’s pitching staff. Simpson, who hit .306 in the regular season to lead Tampa Bay, bats near the bottom of the confirmed order rather than at the top.
Who Are The Probable Starting Pitchers?
Tampa Bay is projected to hand the ball to Freddy Peralta, a 30-year-old right-hander who enters with a 1.93 ERA and no decisions yet this postseason. Cleveland is expected to counter with Parker Messick, a 25-year-old left-hander carrying a 5.40 ERA and a 1-0 record so far in October, according to ESPN‘s official data.
Cleveland’s rotation got a boost in Game 1 from Drew Rasmussen, who threw eight scoreless innings with just one hit allowed, 10 strikeouts and two walks for Tampa Bay before the Guardians rallied late. That followed a Game 1 ALDS outing against the Yankees in which Rasmussen worked 7 2/3 hitless innings, a performance noted by MLB.com.
How Did Game 1 Play Out?
The Guardians beat the Rays 7-3 in ALCS Game 1 on Monday, with Foster Griffin starting for Cleveland against Rasmussen, according to the Chicago Tribune. Tampa Bay jumped ahead 2-0 early, but Cleveland scored all of its runs from the sixth inning on. Nathaniel Lowe broke a tie with a two-run single in the eighth inning.
José Ramírez went 3 for 4, and Chase DeLauter hit a home run and fell a triple shy of the cycle as Cleveland finished with 14 hits. Patrick Bailey also homered for the Guardians, connecting off Rasmussen despite his scoreless line. Tampa Bay manager Kevin Cash said after the loss, “Obviously we came off an emotional series, had a quick turnaround.
But these guys come ready to play every day. Couldn’t be more proud of them. We got punched early.
And our pitching staff, credit to them, for stopping it and keeping us in the game as long as they did. And the offense came alive.”
Cleveland manager Stephen Vogt said, “It’s been a while since we lost, so I think that’s a good thing, and I know the guys will come back and respond tomorrow,” addressing his team’s response after its own recent setback.
How Have The Rays And Guardians Been Playing?
Tampa Bay finished the regular season 98-64, won the AL East over the Yankees and entered the ALCS as the No. 1 seed in the league. The Rays have dropped two of their last five games, including Tuesday’s Game 1 loss to Cleveland, though they beat New York three times in their final head-to-head series of the year, a stretch detailed in Total Apex Sports’ coverage of the Rays’ win over the Yankees.
Cleveland finished 85-77 and claimed the No. 2 seed after rallying from an 0-2 deficit to beat the White Sox in five games in the ALDS, a stretch covered in Total Apex Sports’ report on the Guardians’ Game 5 ALDS win. Cleveland has won four of its last five games.
What Is The Injury Situation For Both Teams?
Tampa Bay is without starting pitcher Shane McClanahan, who is out with left forearm soreness, according to ESPN’s official data. Outfielders Gavin Lux and Jacob Melton remain on the 60-day injured list with a left shoulder issue and a right hamstring strain, respectively, and relievers Edwin Uceta and Jonathan Heasley are also on the 60-day IL.
Cleveland placed first baseman Rhys Hoskins on the 10-day IL on Oct. 12 with back inflammation. Reliever Colin Holderman is on the 15-day IL following right wrist surgery, and reliever Andrew Walters remains out after right elbow surgery, a move Total Apex Sports detailed in its report on the Guardians’ ALCS roster change.
Guardians Outlook
Cleveland has drawn 28 walks through six postseason games, a patient approach reflected in the team’s .336 on-base percentage. The lineup is led at the plate this season by Chase DeLauter, who hit .287, while Angel Martinez topped the club with 18 home runs and Brayan Rocchio drove in a team-high 73 runs during the regular season. José Ramírez remains Cleveland’s star at third base.
The pitching staff has racked up 83 strikeouts over 54 innings this postseason, a 13.8 strikeouts-per-nine mark, but the group also carries a 3.00 ERA and has issued 23 walks, numbers that will matter against a deep Rays lineup that now has its full batting order confirmed.
Rays Outlook
Tampa Bay’s staff has been the story of its postseason run, posting a 3.00 team ERA and a 0.94 WHIP with 41 strikeouts over 36 innings. Opponents are hitting just .197 against Rays pitching this October. Offensively, Chandler Simpson led the club with a .306 batting average in the regular season, while Junior Caminero topped the team with 42 home runs and 101 RBIs and now hits in the confirmed Game 2 lineup alongside Yandy Diaz.
Tampa Bay has managed just a .209 team batting average and a .602 OPS this postseason, numbers that reflect the lineup’s struggles entering Game 2.
Key Matchup To Watch
Freddy Peralta’s 1.93 ERA will be tested against a Guardians lineup that has shown more patience than power, drawing walks at a far higher rate than Tampa Bay’s hitters have all postseason. Cleveland’s 13.8 strikeouts-per-nine mark on the mound will also face a Rays offense still searching for consistent contact, evidenced by its .209 team batting average.
With Tampa Bay’s full lineup now set, Caminero’s placement behind Diaz gives the Rays a clear focal point for scoring against Messick, a matchup Game 2 will test directly.
What To Watch
Cleveland is trying to reach the World Series for the first time since 2016 and win it for the first time since 1948. Tampa Bay, in the World Series as recently as 2020, is still chasing its first championship. A Guardians win Tuesday would put them one victory from a commanding 2-0 series lead on the road, while a Rays win would even the ALCS before it shifts.
Total Apex Sports covered the Game 1 result and the Messick starting assignment for Game 2.
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