ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — The Tampa Bay Rays are going back to the World Series. Two-run home runs from Yandy Díaz and Junior Caminero carried the Rays past the Cleveland Guardians 7-3 on Monday night at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, closing out the American League Championship Series in six games.
Richie Palacios put Tampa Bay in front early with a two-run double in the second inning. Freddy Peralta worked 5 1/3 innings and gave up one run on five hits, his second win of the series, and he was named ALCS MVP. Díaz, who had promised a Game 6 win a day earlier, stretched the lead to four runs with a 416-foot drive in the eighth.
Cleveland made it tense late. The Guardians scored twice in the eighth and loaded the bases with the potential go-ahead run at first before Kevin Kelly struck out Brayan Rocchio. Closer Bryan Baker finished it in the ninth when catcher Liam Hicks squeezed a foul pop near the Cleveland dugout.
A sellout crowd of 40,230 filled the renovated dome, which had to be rebuilt after Hurricane Milton tore off its roof two years ago. The Rays spent the 2025 season playing home games in Tampa at the spring training complex of the New York Yankees before returning to St. Petersburg, and they have a deal for a new ballpark near the home of the Buccaneers that is set to open in 2029.
The pennant is the third in franchise history, and the clincher came on the 18th anniversary of the first one in 2008. Tampa Bay, still seeking its first championship, swept the Yankees in the Division Series and rallied from series deficits of 1-0 and 2-1 against Cleveland. Game 1 against the Milwaukee Brewers is set for Friday at 8 p.m. Eastern.
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