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Rays Win ALCS Game 6, Advance to First World Series Since 2020
· Confirmed
In Short: The Rays' 2026 World Series opponent, the Milwaukee Brewers, finished with an MLB-high 103 wins, while the Rays had 98.
The Tampa Bay Rays secured their spot in the World Series with a 7-3 victory over the Cleveland Guardians in Game 6 of the American League Championship Series (ALCS). The win marks the Rays' third World Series appearance, following their 2008 and 2020 campaigns.
MVP Freddy Peralta pitched 5 1/3 innings, earning his second win of the ALCS. Junior Caminero and Yandy Diaz each hit two-run home runs, contributing to the Rays' decisive victory before a raucous home crowd of 40,230 at Tropicana Field.
This year's World Series will feature two teams seeking their first title: the Rays and the Milwaukee Brewers. The matchup will be the first since 1980 where both teams are first-time World Series contenders.
Manager Kevin Cash expressed the significance of the win, with Cash saying, “I’m gonna have to hear it like 20 more times for it to sink in.”
Yandy Diaz, the franchise leader in postseason games played, emphasized the team's focus on their approach to the game. Diaz stated, “I know it's way easier said than done, but I feel like if we strike out 27 times looking at the top of the zone tonight, we're going to probably win the game.”
The Rays' journey to the World Series included a three-game sweep of the Yankees in the AL Division Series. Junior Caminero and Jonny DeLuca had RBI singles in the first, and Cedric Mullins hit a solo home run.
Peralta's performance in Game 2 was particularly noteworthy, throwing six shutout innings with six strikeouts and throwing the hardest fastball of his career at 99.4 mph.
The Guardians' manager, Stephen Vogt, acknowledged the quick turnaround from their previous series, saying, “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.”
The Rays' victory in Game 6 marks their first World Series appearance since 2020, when they lost to the Los Angeles Dodgers in six games. The team also lost the 2008 World Series to the Philadelphia Phillies in five games.
Background
Game 4 of the ALCS between the Cleveland Guardians and Tampa Bay Rays was postponed due to rain and rescheduled for Saturday.
In Game 2 of the American League Championship Series, Tampa Bay Rays pitcher Freddy Peralta delivered a standout performance, leading his team to a 7-3 victory over the Cleveland Guardians.
What's confirmed
- This will be the first matchup since 1980 where both teams are seeking their first World Series title, ESPN reported.
- Rays Are Back In World Series: 3 Takeaways From ALCS Game 6 By @foxsports via FOX Sports, 6h ago Yandy Diaz said it would all end on Monday: The Rays would defeat the Guardians in Game 6 and advance to the World Series.
- The 2026 World Series is set: the Milwaukee Brewers vs.
- The surprising White Sox are one win from advancing to the AL Championship Series for the first time since winning the World Series in 2005.
What's still developing
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- Meanwhile, the Milwaukee Brewers offered up 1,000 "Timeless Tickets." In 2015, the Brewers put 1,000 "Timeless Tickets" up for sale, which entailed a $1,000 payment for a ticket that could be used for any future contest with no deadline to select a game.
- "If they can redeem this ticket for me and get me to the game as I've pictured in my mind for the last 12 years, it would be the best thing ever."
- Sunday’s 3-1 win in Game 5 felt even more convincing than the low score suggests, giving the Rays a 3-2 lead in the series.
- A thought: Why didn’t Billy Wagner start the ninth of a tie game at home? 1999: The Mets rallied from 5-0 and 7-2 deficits to take an 8-7 lead in the eighth inning of Game 6 of the NLCS vs. the Braves.
- An interesting note if the Rays advance: Rasmussen was drafted by the Brewers in 2018 and debuted for them in 2020, but was traded to the Rays in May 2021 in a deal that sent Willy Adames to Milwaukee.
- Milwaukee finished with an MLB-high 103 wins, while Tampa had 98.
- The Source: The information in this story was gathered from the Tampa Bay Rays, stadium logistics information published by Tropicana Field management and Major League Baseball postseason schedule updates.
- Peralta threw six innings of four-hit ball, Liam Hicks lined a two-run single after José Ramírez's fielding error and the Tampa Bay Rays beat the Cleveland Guardians 3-1 Tuesday night to even the AL Championship Series at 1-1.
- Ramírez, whose two-run homer in Game 5 of their AL Division Series against Chicago helped the Guardians become the 11th team to overcome an 0-2 deficit in a best-of-five series, misplayed a grounder in the fourth inning that led to three unearned runs against rookie lefty Parker Messick.
- Braden Montgomery lined a two-run double down the right-field line, Sean Burke allowed one hit in 5⅓ innings of splendid relief and the Chicago White Sox beat the Cleveland Guardians 4-3 on Monday to take a 2-0 lead in their American League Division Series.
- With three of the four spots in the league championship series already clinched, Thursday night’s White Sox-Guardians matchup was the lone game on MLB’s postseason schedule.
Sources
- 95.5 WSBlink
- Bvmsportslink
- CBS Sportslink
- FOX Sportslink
- MLB.comlink
- Metsmerizedlink
- NBC Newslink
- WOGXlink
- News5Clevelandlink
- Espnlink
- Draysbaylink
- Wlsamlink
- Sportsnetlink
- Nypostlink
- WarpBeat — background on Rain Forces Rays-Guardians ALCS Game 4 Reschedule link
- WarpBeat — background on Postseason Peralta Lifts Rays Past Guardians: 3 Takeaways From ALCS Game 2 link
- MLB — video link