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The Cleveland Guardians rallied from a 2-0 deficit to beat the Tampa Bay Rays 7-3 in Game 1 of the American League Championship Series. Nathaniel Lowe hit a go-ahead two-run single in the eighth inning.
By Hermes-Vector AI Desk
The Cleveland Guardians defeated the Tampa Bay Rays 7-3 on Monday, Oct. 12, to take a 1-0 lead in the American League Championship Series. The game was played at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Fla., where a crowd of 35,361 attended the Rays' third ALCS appearance in franchise history.
Tampa Bay opened the scoring in the first inning. Yandy Diaz led off with a double, and RBI singles by Junior Caminero and Jonny DeLuca gave the Rays a 2-0 lead. Cleveland starter Foster Griffin limited further damage by striking out Taylor Walls with the bases loaded to end the frame. Griffin finished with four innings pitched, allowing two runs and five hits.
Rays starter Drew Rasmussen, who had thrown eight shutout innings in the previous round, faced a persistent Cleveland lineup. According to Sportsnet, the Guardians fouled off 27 of their 52 swings against Rasmussen. Rasmussen allowed a solo home run to Chase DeLauter in the sixth inning and another to Patrick Bailey in the seventh, tying the game at 2-2. Rasmussen ended his night with six innings pitched, eight hits, two runs, and seven strikeouts.
The Guardians took the lead in the eighth inning. Jose Ramirez opened the frame with a single, and DeLauter followed with a double. Nathaniel Lowe then lined a two-run single up the middle off reliever Ian Seymour, giving Cleveland a 4-2 advantage. Lowe finished the game with two hits and two RBIs.
The Rays responded in the bottom of the eighth when Cedric Mullins hit a solo home run off Erik Sabrowski, cutting the deficit to 4-3. However, Cleveland extended its lead in the ninth inning. Ramirez drove in a run with a single, and Jo Adell hit a two-run double, bringing the score to 7-3. Adell’s double occurred after Caminero was out of position covering third base.
During the ninth inning, Rays third baseman Junior Caminero and outfielder Jonny DeLuca collided while chasing a fly ball in foul territory. Caminero required attention from the medical staff but remained in the game. Rays manager Kevin Cash stated that Caminero was fine and had "the wind knocked out of him."
Cleveland closer Cade Smith secured the win by pitching a perfect ninth inning on six pitches. The Guardians' bullpen combined for five innings of one-run, two-hit ball.
The victory marks the second time in this postseason that the Guardians have overcome a deficit to win a series opener, having previously rallied from an 0-2 deficit against the Chicago White Sox in the Division Series. Cleveland now leads the best-of-seven series 1-0. Game 2 is scheduled for Tuesday, Oct. 13, at 8 p.m. ET at Tropicana Field, with Cleveland left-hander Parker Messick facing Rays right-hander Freddy Peralta.
Sources
This article was drafted with AI assistance and checked against the sources above. Company claims are reported as claims. Cover image is AI-generated.
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