The key facts

  • ALCS series tied 2-2, Game 5 in Cleveland on Sunday
  • Yandy Diaz hit a two-run home run in the ninth inning
  • The series winner will face the Milwaukee Brewers in the World Series

Rays tie the series

The Tampa Bay Rays beat the Cleveland Guardians 7-3 in Game 4 of the American League series played Saturday in Cleveland, tying the series at two wins apiece, 2-2. The game was postponed by one day due to bad weather in Cleveland. The Rays, one of five MLB clubs that have never won the World Series, kept their chances of a first title alive.

Course of the game

Cleveland opened the scoring in the first inning: Chase DeLauter drove in a run by bringing Steven Kwan home — 1-0. Rays starting pitcher Nick Martinez then held the opponent to one run over five and a third innings, retiring 11 batters in a row along the way. Tampa Bay tied it in the third inning, when Jonathan Aranda brought Diaz home. In the sixth, Junior Caminero doubled to allow Aranda to score — 2-1.

The decisive seventh inning

The key stretch came in the seventh inning: after singles by Richie Palacios and Taylor Walls, there were two runners on with no outs. A checked swing by Diaz that was ruled a swing advanced the runners to second and third, and DeLauter's error on a routine fly to right field gave Tampa Bay two runs — 4-1. A fifth run was added on Chandler Simpson's sacrifice fly that brought Aranda home.

Cleveland's response and the finale

In the bottom of the seventh inning, the Guardians cut the deficit: Travis Bazzana hit a home run to right field, and Brayan Rocchio drove in a run for Patrick Bailey — 5-3. However, a two-run home run by Diaz, a former Cleveland player, in the ninth inning stopped the comeback and set the final score at 7-3.

What's next

Game 5 of the series will take place in Cleveland on Sunday. The series winner will meet the Milwaukee Brewers in the World Series; the Brewers swept the Los Angeles Dodgers 4-0 in games on Thursday.