Rays beat Guardians to book a World Series showdown with the Brewers

By Kyle Feldscher, CNN

(CNN) — The Tampa Bay Rays are headed to the World Series for the third time in franchise history, booking a Fall Classic showdown with the Milwaukee Brewers.

The matchup between the Rays and Brewers pits the two best teams during baseball’s regular season against one another for a title. It also ensures history will be made – neither franchise has ever won a World Series.

The Rays punched their ticket to baseball’s biggest stage with a 7-3 victory over the Cleveland Guardians in Game 6 of the American League Championship Series, taking the best-of-seven series four games to two.

“I’m very happy for this team right here, for this city. Going to the world series, my God. Unbelievable. I want to cry right now because we put in a lot of work as a team and we did it to support the city,” said star third baseman Junior Caminero to the TBS broadcast.

As the interview started to be piped through the stadium’s loudspeakers, Caminero grew even more excited, saying, “I’m very happy. Hey, we played really hard for this city. Tampa is the best, Tampa gave me the opportunity to play here. Tampa is the best. Tampa! This is for you!”

The crowd at the suddenly raucous Tropicana Field, one of baseball’s quietest venues during most regular season contests, roared in approval.

The Rays got on the board early when second baseman Richie Palacios laced a double into the gap in right-centerfield, scoring Victor Mesa Jr. and Chandler Simpson. Jonny DeLuca’s sacrifice fly in the next inning gave the Rays a 3-0 lead, and Tropicana Field was rocking.

The Guardians pulled a run back in the sixth when Nathaniel Lowe knocked a single up the middle, scoring Chase DeLauter. But the moment of the game was to come an inning later when the Rays’ star stepped to the plate.

Caminero, a player who would be a major star in the league if he played in almost any other market, walked to the plate after catcher Liam Hicks drew a walk. Caminero hit 42 home runs during the regular season and is one of the few power threats in the small-ball Rays’ lineup.

On the first pitch, he turned on a split-fingered fastball that ran toward his hands. Showing off his bat speed, Caminero turned on the ball and pulled it down the left field line. It clanged off the foul pole for a two-run home run that ultimately provided far more than just insurance.

In the top of the eighth, the Guardians made their push. DeLauter reached on an infield single and Lowe moved him up with a two-out single of his own. Then the Rays’ bullpen, usually so reliable, turned shaky.

Ian Seymour entered to pitch to rookie star Travis Bazzana and walked him to load the bases. Catcher Patrick Bailey then walked to force in a run and Seymour plunked Angel Martinez to force in another. With the wheels threatening to come off, Rays manager Kevin Cash yanked Seymour and put in Kevin Kelly.

Kelly righted the ship, striking out Brayan Rocchio to end the Cleveland threat.

Just a few moments later, all the worries were set aside for Rays fans.

After Taylor Walls earned a one-out walk, longtime Ray Yandy Díaz stepped to the plate. He took a pitch from Cleveland reliever Hunter Gaddis and turned on it, blasting it over the left field fence and sending the Tropicana Field crowd into delirium.

It’s a validating moment for an organization known as one of the best front offices in MLB, which has figured out a way using cutting-edge analytics to put together a consistently contending team despite a tight budget. The Rays had a $98.3 million payroll in 2026, ranked 25th in the league.

“We’ve got the best baseball organization in the world … this entire organization works tirelessly to put the best team on the field to compete every day, in and out,” said Patrick Zalupski, the team’s principal owner and managing partner.

Added Cash: “They’ve been incredible all season long. All of the fans who come into this ballpark, they’ve seen it. We’ve known it and they just went out and proved it this month.”

Pitcher Freddy Peralta, who won his two starts in Game 2 and Game 6 and also came in to get some key outs in Game 4 on Saturday, was named ALCS MVP. Peralta will now start in the World Series against his former team in Milwaukee – he played for eight seasons as a Brewer before being traded to the New York Mets ahead of the 2026 season. The Mets dealt him to the Rays at the trade deadline just a few months ago, leading to the serendipitous matchup.

It’s the third time that the Rays will play for a title after losing in 2008 to the Philadelphia Phillies and in the Covid-19 shortened 2020 season to the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Their opponents, the Brewers, are returning to the Fall Classic for the first time since 1982.

The first game of the Fall Classic will be played at 8 p.m. ET on Friday at American Family Field in Milwaukee.

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