The Tampa Bay Rays are going back to the World Series. They beat the Cleveland Guardians 7-3 in Game 6 of the American League Championship Series at Tropicana Field, taking the series four games to two.
Peralta sets the tone
Freddy Peralta allowed one run on five hits with three walks and three strikeouts over 5 1/3 innings. He was named ALCS MVP after finishing the series 2-0 with a 0.75 ERA. The Rays acquired him from the New York Mets before the trade deadline.
"His velocity was so high out of the gate, you were wondering how much he was going to be able to maintain it," manager Kevin Cash said. "But couldn't be more impressed with the way he continued to take deep breaths and just make pitch after pitch for us."
Two swings decide it
Junior Caminero hit a two-run homer in the seventh. Yandy Diaz added another in the eighth, a day after guaranteeing a Game 6 win following the Rays' loss in Game 5.
"I'm really glad he backed it up, that's for sure," Cash said of Diaz. Caminero took almost 39 seconds to round the bases, and told the crowd afterwards: "Tampa, this is for you!"
Cleveland did not fold. The Guardians cut the lead to two runs and loaded the bases in the eighth before reliever Kevin Kelly struck out Brayan Rocchio to end the threat.
A matchup of contrasts
The World Series opens Friday at Milwaukee's American Family Field. The Brewers finished with the best record in baseball and hold home-field advantage. They swept the two-time defending champion Los Angeles Dodgers in the NLCS.
Both clubs end long waits. Tampa Bay has reached the Series twice before, in 2008 and 2020, and lost both times. Milwaukee has gone 58 seasons without a title.
"They're highly athletic but so are we," Cash said of the Brewers. "I'm excited to see two great teams that play the game a little differently than maybe it's been played the last decade or so."