The Tampa Bay Rays are one win from the World Series. Drew Rasmussen dominated Game 5 of the ALCS on Sunday night at Progressive Field, allowing one run on four hits over seven innings with six strikeouts and one walk, as Tampa Bay beat the Cleveland Guardians 3-1 to take a 3-2 lead in the best-of-seven series. Rasmussen is now 2-0 with a 1.29 ERA across three postseason starts, with 23 strikeouts against three walks.
Tampa Bay built its lead early, scoring once in each of the first three innings. Yandy Díaz, who finished with three hits, came home on a bases-loaded walk to Jonny DeLuca in the first; Jonathan Aranda singled in Ben Williamson in the second; and Liam Hicks drove in Chandler Simpson in the third. That was more than enough against Cleveland starter Parker Messick, whose two-inning outing — two runs, five hits, three walks, 57 pitches — was the shortest of his career.
Cleveland's Steven Kwan did everything he could to keep it close, collecting two of the Guardians' five hits, throwing out a runner at the plate and making a leaping catch at the wall to save a run. But the Rays' bullpen closed the door: Cam Booser and Tyler Wells handled the eighth, Wells striking out José Ramírez to strand a runner, and Bryan Baker converted his 35th consecutive save, his fifth of this postseason.
The series shifts to Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg for Game 6 on Monday, where Tampa Bay can clinch its third American League pennant and first since 2020; a Game 7, if needed, would follow on Tuesday. The winner opens the World Series on Friday at the Milwaukee Brewers, who swept the Dodgers in the NLCS.
