Rays hang on to beat Guardians and even ALCS, ensuring a return to Tropicana Field

Marc Topkin, Tampa Bay Times on Oct 17, 2026

Published in Baseball

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CLEVELAND — The Rays are returning home to play at least Game 6 of the American League Championship Series on Monday night.

That’s the most important takeaway from their 7-3 victory over the Guardians in Game 4 Saturday night that evened the best-of-seven series at 2-2.

But there was more for them to be excited about, most notably much-needed contributions from the “Big Three” hitters in their lineup, who hadn’t done much in the first three games.

Yandy Diaz’s two-out double in the third set up the Rays’ first run, and his two-run homer in the ninth provided some needed cushion. It was his first postseason homer since hitting two in the 2019 AL wild-card game at Oakland.

Jonathan Aranda, hitless over his first 11 ALCS at-bats, delivered the first Tampa Bay run with an RBI single, walked to score their second and rapped a single that led to two more in the seventh.

Junior Caminero, after coming up just short on a homer in the fourth, delivered the go-ahead run with a double in the sixth.

Nick Martinez gave the Rays a solid 5 1/3-inning start, and Freddy Peralta made a surprise relief appearance to get them through the sixth. The Rays took a 5-1 lead in the seventh before lefty Ian Seymour made it way too interesting, allowing two runs on four consecutive hits.

The combination of Kevin Kelly, Cam Booser and Bryan Baker combined to get the final six outs for the Rays.

With the schedule shuffled following Friday’s postponement, Game 5 is Sunday in Cleveland at 5:08 p.m., with the Rays expected to start ace Drew Rasmussen. Game 6 will be Monday night at Tropicana Field and Game 7, if needed, on Tuesday.

The Guardians took a first-inning lead, though the Rays did well to hold them to one run.

Steven Kwan led off with a single off Martinez, moved to second on a wild pitch and scored on a liner to right by rookie Chase DeLauter. But a strong throw by right fielder Victor Mesa Jr. nabbed DeLauter at second, and Martinez got Jo Adell to fly out to end the inning.

The Rays got even in the third with the first contributions from their “Big Three.” Diaz (3 for 14 in the ALCS as he stepped to the plate) doubled with two outs and Aranda (0 for 11) singled him home with his first hit of the series.

The Rays may have had a rally in the fifth when Richie Palacios led off with an infield single, but Taylor Walls, typically effective in these situations, failed twice to get down a bunt and, worse, grounded into a double play.

Nevertheless, the Rays rallied in the sixth to take the lead, though they definitely had a chance for more than the one run they got. Aranda and Chandler Simpson — hitting third to force right-handed opener Shawn Armstrong to face a second lefty in the first inning — each drew walks.

That brought up Caminero, the young Rays star who hadn’t done much yet to take advantage of the October stage, including batting 2 for 13 to that point in the ALCS.

He hit into a fielder’s choice that ended the first. In the fourth, he drove a ball 410 feet at 100.7 mph and a 29-degree launch angle to deep center field that looked to be a home run, but Petey Halpin was able to make a running and stumbling catch up against the wall.

In the sixth, Caminero laced a 110.2 mph liner just over third baseman Jose Ramirez that scored Aranda, with third-base coach Brady Williams holding Simpson at third.

That looked bigger when pinch-hitter Ben Williamson’s grounder to first led to Simpson being thrown out at the plate. Mesa showed bunt early in his at-bat but struck out, and Jonny DeLuca popped out.

But the Rays added three runs in the seventh with some help from the usually tidy Guardians.

After singles by Palacios and Walls and a double steal, Aranda lashed a one-out single to right that scored both runners after DeLauter overran the ball. Aranda ended up on third and scored on a sacrifice fly by Simpson.

Martinez, continuing his road success, got the Rays into the sixth, leaving with one out and one on. The Rays made a surprising move to protect the lead, summoning Peralta — their likely Game 6 starter — to face the top of the Cleveland order and get two outs.

Peralta, who last pitched in relief in a 2024 wild-card series for Milwaukee, got it done, retiring Kwan on a liner to center, walking Jose Ramirez, then enticing DeLauter to fly out.