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The Tampa Bay Rays tied the American League Championship Series at 1-1 after defeating the Cleveland Guardians 3-1 in Game 2. Game 3 has been moved to a 1 p.m. ET start in Cleveland to avoid rain.
The Tampa Bay Rays have evened the American League Championship Series (ALCS) at one game apiece after a 3-1 victory over the Cleveland Guardians in Game 2. The series now shifts to Progressive Field in Cleveland for the next three games, with Game 3 scheduled for an early afternoon start due to weather concerns.
Rays pitcher Freddy Peralta delivered a dominant performance in Game 2, throwing six shutout innings. According to theScore, Peralta allowed four hits and two walks while striking out six. The victory marked the fastest pitch of his career at 99.4 mph, recorded in the fifth inning.
Peralta’s outing was historically significant for the franchise. According to Rays Communications on X, as reported by Yahoo Sports, Peralta is only the second pitcher in Tampa Bay history to record a scoreless quality start in the ALCS or World Series. The only other pitcher to achieve this feat was Scott Kazmir, who threw six innings against the Boston Red Sox in the 2008 ALCS.
"I define myself as a competitor," Peralta said postgame, according to Rays reporter Ryan Bass, as cited by theScore. "I like these kind of games. ... I feel like I have that in me."
The Rays scored three unearned runs in the fourth inning, capitalizing on defensive errors by the Guardians. Sportsnet reported that third baseman Jose Ramirez committed a pair of uncharacteristic defensive miscues. Liam Hicks capped the inning with a two-run base hit following the errors.
TheScore noted that this was only the seventh time since 1913 that a team allowed three or more unearned runs in a playoff contest, per Jesse Rogers of ESPN. The Guardians had previously won Game 1 by a score of 7-3.
Major League Baseball moved the start time of Game 3 from its original evening slot to 1 p.m. ET on Thursday. The AP reported that the change was made due to the threat of rain in Cleveland during the evening hours. This will be the earliest start time for a League Championship Series game in the Eastern time zone since Game 5 of the 1988 NL Championship Series, according to MLB Network.
Rays manager Kevin Cash commented on the decision. "I think MLB did the right thing. They felt likelier that we were going to get rain in the mid-to-late afternoon tomorrow. So let’s move the game up and try to bank as many dry innings as possible," Cash said, as reported by the AP.
The Rays have named right-hander Griffin Jax as their starter for Game 3. Jax, who has a 3.52 ERA and an 8-10 record for the season, will make his first postseason start. He previously threw two innings of relief in the ALDS against the New York Yankees.
"It’s a big honor, one that I’ve been looking forward to for a really long time now that I’m in the rotation," Jax said, according to the AP.
The Guardians are expected to start Gavin Williams, who led the American League in strikeouts during the regular season. Williams had a 3.76 ERA and a 14-8 record. He recently tied a franchise postseason record with 12 strikeouts in Game 5 of the ALDS against the Chicago White Sox.
"They don’t strike out much. They’re going to put the ball in play. They’re going to put a lot of pressure on us. Just going to have to execute the best way I know how to," Williams said about the Rays, as reported by the AP.
The series is now tied 1-1, with the next three games scheduled in Cleveland. The early start time for Game 3 is a rare occurrence in postseason baseball, driven by weather forecasts that also threaten Friday’s Game 4. The Rays’ ability to capitalize on defensive errors and Peralta’s historic performance have leveled the series, setting the stage for a pivotal matchup between Griffin Jax and Gavin Williams.
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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