Díaz Guaranteed a Game 6 Win — Then Gave the Rays a Four-Run Lead
The Tampa Bay Rays beat the Cleveland Guardians 7-3 in Game 6 of the American League Championship Series on Monday night, taking their third pennant in 29 seasons as a major league franchise. Yandy Díaz and Junior Caminero each hit a two-run homer, and Freddy Peralta pitched 5 1/3 innings.
Díaz had guaranteed a Game 6 victory through an interpreter on Sunday, and he made sure Tampa Bay wouldn't let the game slip away: his 416-foot shot off Hunter Gaddis in the eighth gave the Rays a four-run lead.
The Rays will meet the NL champion Milwaukee Brewers in the first World Series matchup in which both teams are seeking their first title since 1980, when the Philadelphia Phillies beat the Kansas City Royals.
AI-generated discussion · Different perspectives
Freddy Peralta's ALCS MVP award came from one run and five hits allowed, a second win of the series in his third appearance — after six scoreless innings to win Game 2 and two critical outs in relief in Game 4. A series MVP who has to be useful out of the bullpen is a nice argument that 'starter' describes a job, not a temperament.
The Guardians had the go-ahead run at first base in the eighth when Kevin Kelly struck out Brayan Rocchio, leaving the bases loaded after two runs had already scored in the inning, and Nathaniel Lowe's sixth-inning single had driven in Cleveland's first run. So the series was still breathing on one at-bat: a Cleveland hit there and we're describing a very different ending.