Nathaniel Lowe absolutely ripped a two-run single in the eighth inning, shattering the tie and kicking off a late surge that saw the Cleveland Guardians snatch Game 1 of the American League Championship Series from the Tampa Bay Rays 7-3 on Monday night. This was a wild one, especially considering the Rays had been on an absolute tear, sweeping the New York Yankees in their AL Division Series without ever trailing.
From 2-0 Lead to “What Just Happened?!”
Drew Rasmussen, who was lights out for the Rays, took a 2-0 lead into the sixth inning. Junior Caminero and Jonny DeLuca had already put up RBI singles in the first off Cleveland’s Foster Griffin, and Cedric Mullins added a solo homer for the Rays. Rasmussen, a two-time All-Star, even took a no-hitter into the eighth in Game 1 of the ALDS against the Yankees. But then Chase DeLauter stepped up in the sixth and smashed an opposite-field homer to left-center, ending Rasmussen’s no-hit bid and putting Cleveland on the board. Then, in the seventh, Patrick Bailey started the inning with a towering shot to center field, an estimated 436 feet, that officially ended Rasmussen’s night. Rasmussen ultimately allowed eight hits and struck out seven over six-plus tough innings, a stark contrast to his performance against the Yankees where the Rays only allowed 12 hits in three games. Cleveland got 14 hits in this series opener alone.
The Eighth Inning Avalanche and Clutch Insurance
The Guardians weren’t done. José Ramírez led off the eighth with an infield single off Tyler Wells, and DeLauter followed up with a sharp double to right field. After Wells got Jo Adell out, Ian Seymour came in, only for Lowe to line an 0-2 pitch straight up the middle for those two crucial runs, pushing Cleveland to a 4-2 lead. Mullins tried to rally for the Rays in the bottom half, connecting off Erik Sabrowski for another homer. But Ramírez, who had already delivered a two-run homer in Cleveland’s 2-0 Game 5 win against Chicago, wasn’t about to let the lead slip. He provided an insurance run with an RBI single in the ninth off Cole Sulser. Ramírez then pulled a brilliant move, breaking for third with two outs and two strikes on Adell. Caminero went to cover the bag, leaving third base open, and Adell hit a sharp grounder right into that open space for a two-run double. It was a massive finish for a Guardians team that became only the 11th squad to overcome an 0-2 deficit in a best-of-five playoff series, doing so against the Chicago White Sox on Saturday night. Cade Smith, who pitched in all five games against Chicago, tossed a perfect ninth to seal it.
Game 2 is Tuesday night at Tropicana Field. Rookie lefty Parker Messick is on the mound for Cleveland, facing off against right-hander Freddy Peralta for the Rays. After getting stunned in their own building, you know the Rays are gonna come out swinging, but Cleveland just showed they can take a punch and hit back harder.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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