Rasmussen's seven innings
Drew Rasmussen held Cleveland to one run on four hits over seven innings as the Tampa Bay Rays won Game 5 of the American League Championship Series 3-1 on Monday. The Rays lead the best-of-seven series 3-2.
Rasmussen is the first pitcher in Rays history with two postseason starts of at least seven innings while allowing one run or fewer. Both have come this October. The last pitcher to do it twice in one postseason before the World Series was Logan Webb with the Giants in 2021.
Cleveland's defence and bats
The Guardians managed five hits in the game. Their defence hurt them again: a ball that should have been an out at shortstop was not recorded, extending an inning that cost them in Game 2 and Game 4 as well. Parker Messick needed 31 pitches in the first inning, tied for his most in any inning this season.
Cleveland's staff struck out 12 more batters. The Guardians now have the most strikeouts through nine postseason games of any team in major league history, a mark that says as much about how deep their pitching has run as about the hitters they face.
What comes next
Game 6 is at Tropicana Field on Tuesday night, with Game 7 there on Wednesday if needed. The Guardians have come back before: in the Division Series they lost the first two games to the White Sox and then won three straight.
Cleveland has not won a World Series since 1948, the longest drought in the majors. The Rays have reached the Series twice and lost both times, to the Phillies in 2008 and the Dodgers in 2020. They have been the best team in the American League since midseason.
The Milwaukee Brewers won the National League pennant and will host Game 1 of the World Series on Friday.