Rays beat Guardians 7-3 in Game 4 to even ALCS at 2-2
Junior Caminero’s tiebreaking double in the sixth inning and a costly Cleveland error in the seventh helped the Tampa Bay Rays beat the Guardians 7-3 on Saturday at Progressive Field, tying the American League Championship Series 2-2. The win guarantees the series returns to Tropicana Field for Game 6 on Monday.
How it happened: Jonathan Aranda, hitless in 11 ALCS at-bats, tied the game 1-1 with an RBI single in the third, MLB.com reported. Caminero, who struck out four times in Game 3, lined a 110.2 mph double off Daniel Espino for a 2-1 lead in the sixth. In the seventh, Aranda’s two-run single rolled under the glove of right fielder Chase DeLauter, letting Aranda reach third, and he scored on Chandler Simpson’s sacrifice fly, ESPN reported. Yandy Díaz added a two-run homer in the ninth.
On the mound: Rays starter Nick Martinez allowed one run over 5 1/3 innings, on a DeLauter RBI single in the first, MLB.com reported. Cleveland got two runs back in the seventh on a Travis Bazzana homer and a Brayan Rocchio RBI single.
What they said: “Put that one on me,” DeLauter told ESPN. “Ground ball under my glove — that simple.” Guardians manager Stephen Vogt said, “I anticipate it going down to the wire,” according to MLB.com.
Why it matters now: After Saturday’s game, the ALCS is a best-of-three. Game 5 is Sunday at 5:08 p.m. ET at Progressive Field, with Parker Messick starting for Cleveland and Drew Rasmussen for Tampa Bay, MLB.com reported, and Game 6 is Monday in St. Petersburg. The winner will face the Brewers, who swept the Dodgers in the NLCS.