The Tampa Bay Rays have clinched their spot in the World Series with a 7-3 victory over the Cleveland Guardians in Game 6 of the American League Championship Series. This win sets up a matchup against the Milwaukee Brewers, who swept the Los Angeles Dodgers to represent the National League.
Neither the Rays nor the Brewers have won a World Series in franchise history. The Brewers will be well-rested, having finished their sweep of the Dodgers on Thursday, while the Rays needed six games to defeat the Guardians.
Tampa Bay enters the World Series with momentum, having won three straight games after falling behind 2-1. The final game featured late drama, with Cleveland scoring two runs in the eighth inning, but Kevin Kelly saved the day for the Rays by striking out Brayan Rocchio with the bases loaded.
The Rays had enough breathing room to survive the late scare thanks to Junior Caminero’s two-run homer in the seventh inning and other key plays, including a two-run double by Richie Palacios and a sacrifice fly by Jonny DeLuca. Yandy Díaz also hit a two-run homer in the bottom of the eighth.
The Rays will look to do what previous iterations of the team were unable to after winning the American League pennant. The 2008 Rays lost to the Philadelphia Phillies in the World Series, while the 2020 version fell to the Dodgers on the same stage. If this year’s team is going to break through, it will have to figure out a way to defeat a Brewers squad that finished with a league-best 103 wins and is playing with no shortage of momentum after eliminating the back-to-back champions.