The Cleveland Guardians opened the American League Championship Series with a statement comeback, rallying from an early deficit to beat the Tampa Bay Rays 7-3 in Game 1 on Monday at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg. Cleveland scored seven runs over the final four innings and collected 14 hits in the series opener.
Tampa Bay struck first, putting four hits together in the opening frame against Guardians starter Foster Griffin to take a 2-0 lead on RBI singles from Junior Caminero and Jonny DeLuca. Rays ace Drew Rasmussen then held Cleveland scoreless through five innings and looked in control.
Sixth-inning spark
Rookie Chase DeLauter changed the complexion of the game with one swing in the sixth, depositing a first-pitch fastball from Rasmussen over the left-center field wall for his first postseason home run. An inning later, Patrick Bailey tied the game at 2-2, sending a first-pitch cutter from Rasmussen over the center-field wall — the hit that ended the Rays ace's night.
With the scores level in the eighth, Jose Ramirez reached on an infield single against Tyler Wells and moved to third on DeLauter's double. Nathaniel Lowe then ripped a tiebreaking two-run single to center field on an 0-2 pitch from Ian Seymour, giving Cleveland its first lead of the night.
Late insurance
Cedric Mullins pulled one back for Tampa Bay with a solo homer in the bottom of the eighth, but Cleveland answered with three runs in the ninth. Ramirez drove in a run and Jo Adell's two-run double stretched the margin to 7-3, with both Ramirez and DeLauter — who had three hits apiece — coming around to score.
The RBI also extended Ramirez's postseason streak to four straight games with a run batted in, tying the franchise record shared by Sandy Alomar (1997) and Jim Thome (1998-99). Hunter Gaddis earned the win, and the Cleveland bullpen delivered five innings of one-run ball.
The Guardians have now won four in a row since facing an 0-2 deficit against the Chicago White Sox in the division series. Game 2 of the best-of-seven series is scheduled for Tuesday in St. Petersburg.
Sources:
Late offense sends Guardians to ALCS Game 1 win over Rays — Reuters
Tampa Bay struck first, putting four hits together in the opening frame against Guardians starter Foster Griffin to take a 2-0 lead on RBI singles from Junior Caminero and Jonny DeLuca. Rays ace Drew Rasmussen then held Cleveland scoreless through five innings and looked in control.
Sixth-inning spark
Rookie Chase DeLauter changed the complexion of the game with one swing in the sixth, depositing a first-pitch fastball from Rasmussen over the left-center field wall for his first postseason home run. An inning later, Patrick Bailey tied the game at 2-2, sending a first-pitch cutter from Rasmussen over the center-field wall — the hit that ended the Rays ace's night.
With the scores level in the eighth, Jose Ramirez reached on an infield single against Tyler Wells and moved to third on DeLauter's double. Nathaniel Lowe then ripped a tiebreaking two-run single to center field on an 0-2 pitch from Ian Seymour, giving Cleveland its first lead of the night.
Late insurance
Cedric Mullins pulled one back for Tampa Bay with a solo homer in the bottom of the eighth, but Cleveland answered with three runs in the ninth. Ramirez drove in a run and Jo Adell's two-run double stretched the margin to 7-3, with both Ramirez and DeLauter — who had three hits apiece — coming around to score.
The RBI also extended Ramirez's postseason streak to four straight games with a run batted in, tying the franchise record shared by Sandy Alomar (1997) and Jim Thome (1998-99). Hunter Gaddis earned the win, and the Cleveland bullpen delivered five innings of one-run ball.
The Guardians have now won four in a row since facing an 0-2 deficit against the Chicago White Sox in the division series. Game 2 of the best-of-seven series is scheduled for Tuesday in St. Petersburg.
Sources:
Late offense sends Guardians to ALCS Game 1 win over Rays — Reuters
