Yandy Díaz hit a two-run homer in the bottom of the eighth inning to give the Rays a 7-3 lead over the Guardians. That was the final score of Game 6 of the American League Championship Series on Monday night. Tampa Bay won the series and advances to the World Series. Yahoo Sports' Jordan Shusterman wrote that Díaz had called his shot a day earlier. Rays president of baseball operations Erik Neader said, "He said we were gonna win. He did his part. That was unbelievable."
The box score shows how the homer fit into the game. Cleveland scored twice in the top of the eighth to cut the Rays' lead to 5-3. Díaz answered in the bottom half. Two of his teammates' homers also drove in two runs each. ESPN reported that Junior Caminero hit a two-run homer of his own, and the box score credits him with two hits, two runs and two RBI. Díaz went 1-for-4 with two RBI. The Rays also scored two in the second, one in the third and two in the seventh.
Freddy Peralta got the win. ESPN called his outing 5 1/3 gritty innings. The box score says he allowed one run on five hits and three walks, with three strikeouts in 84 pitches. Both clubs ran up traffic, with the Rays leaving 19 runners on base and Cleveland 18. Rays pitchers walked five and Guardians pitchers walked six. Tim Herrin took the loss in relief. Cleveland got through the eighth with a long series of relievers, and the game ended with Chase DeLauter popping out to catcher Liam Hicks.
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CLE | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 7 | 0 |
| TB | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | – | 7 | 7 | 0 |
The clincher capped a series Tampa Bay controlled. The Rays won 3-1 at Cleveland on Oct. 16 and 7-3 there on Oct. 17, then closed it out with the same 7-3 score at home. Díaz hit .293 with 22 homers and 85 RBI in 154 regular-season games. Caminero, who hit 42 homers with 101 RBI, is the bigger power source on the roster. The Rays finished 98-64 and won the AL East. Cleveland won the AL Central at 85-77.
Tampa Bay's opponent is the Brewers, who went 103-59 and have won five straight. Their last three games were 7-4 over the Dodgers on Oct. 12, then 6-2 and 6-4 wins at Los Angeles on Oct. 14 and Oct. 15. Yahoo Sports noted that the matchup is the first in which both clubs are seeking their first World Series title since 1980. That year the Phillies beat the Royals. Yahoo also framed it as a small-market World Series.
MLB.com's Adam Berry quoted the clubhouse mood as "We've got one more bite!" as the Rays aimed to keep the good times going. The World Series opens with the Rays at the Brewers on Friday, Oct. 23.
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