Jonathan Aranda’s timely hitting and strong pitching by Nick Martinez helped the Tampa Bay Rays even the American League Championship Series against the Cleveland Guardians with a 7-3 victory Saturday night in Cleveland. The win tied the best-of-seven series at two games apiece.
Martinez secured his first postseason win, pitching 5⅓ innings in chilly 46-degree conditions. He allowed one run and two hits, striking out three and walking two. Cleveland took an early lead in the first inning on right fielder Chase DeLauter’s RBI single, but Martinez settled in and retired 10 consecutive batters at one point.
The Rays took their first lead at 2-1 in the sixth inning when Junior Caminero doubled off Guardians starter Daniel Espino. The home team narrowed the gap when Travis Bazzana hit his first postseason home run in the seventh, but defensive miscues contributed to Tampa Bay pulling away.
The pivotal moment came in the seventh inning after Richie Palacios and Taylor Walls reached base and advanced into scoring position on a double steal. Following a strikeout by Yandy Díaz, Aranda lined a single into right field that got past a diving Bazzana and eluded DeLauter, allowing two runs to score and extending the Rays’ lead. Aranda advanced to third on the play and later scored on Chandler Simpson’s sacrifice fly. Cleveland manager Stephen Vogt described the play as a difficult one that his defense “usually complete[s]” but was unable to this time.
Tampa Bay’s offensive surge was marked by contributions from the top of the lineup. The first four hitters—Yandy Díaz, Jonathan Aranda, Chandler Simpson, and Junior Caminero—combined for six of the Rays’ 11 hits and six RBIs. Aranda, who struggled in the first three games going 0-for-10, finished with three hits and two RBIs. Díaz added two hits and two runs batted in, including a two-run homer in the ninth inning off Matt Festa. Both Simpson and Caminero also drove in runs.
Rays manager Kevin Cash praised the performance of his lineup, noting the improvement after the team’s earlier offensive struggles in the series. “A lot of really good at-bats. A lot of hard hits,” Cash said. “Junior squared some balls up, Aranda came through in a big way for us, and Yandy was there at the end with a two-run, add-on homer.”
Despite the offensive output, the Guardians displayed resilience late in the game. After Bazzana’s home run, Brayan Rocchio contributed an RBI single, pulling Cleveland within 5-3 before Tampa Bay extended their lead once more.
The series resumes Sunday for Game 5 at Cleveland’s Progressive Field, with no off day following a rain postponement on Friday. The matchup will then return to Tampa Bay’s Tropicana Field for Games 6 and 7 if necessary. Cleveland is expected to start rookie Parker Messick, who has made three postseason starts, while the Rays plan to counter with Drew Rasmussen, who holds a 1-0 record with a 1.29 ERA this postseason.