The Tampa Bay Rays have forced the American League Championship Series to at least six games, defeating the Cleveland Guardians 7-3 in Game 4. The victory ties the series at two wins apiece after a weather-related postponement disrupted the original schedule.
Cleveland opened the scoring in the first inning when Chase DeLauter singled to drive in Steven Kwan. The Guardians' offense stalled after that early run, allowing Tampa Bay to regroup. In the third inning, the Rays mounted a two-out rally that erased the deficit. Yandy Diaz hit a double, and Jonathan Aranda followed with a hit to drive Diaz in, tying the game at one run each.
The balance of power shifted in the sixth inning. Junior Caminero hit an RBI double with runners on first and second bases and no outs, giving the Rays a 2-1 lead. Although Tampa Bay failed to extend their lead immediately, they capitalized on the next opportunity. In the top of the seventh inning, the Rays loaded the bases with no outs and their top hitters at the plate. Diaz struck out, but Aranda delivered a hit that scored both runners, extending the Tampa Bay lead to 4-1. Aranda later scored on a sacrifice fly two batters later.
Cleveland managed to cut the deficit in half during the bottom of the seventh inning and brought their lead runner to base, but they could not capitalize on the momentum. The decisive blow came in the top of the ninth inning when Diaz hit a two-out, two-run home run. The ball was hit toward DeLauter, who missed a chance to rob him of the extra bases, securing insurance runs for the Rays.
Bryan Baker, an All-Star closer for Tampa Bay, secured the final out. After allowing a leadoff single, he induced a double play and then struck out Angel Martinez to end the contest. The four-run lead provided a comfortable cushion for Baker's performance.
The series schedule has been adjusted due to weather delays that pushed Games 4 and 5 back one day each. No team has won back-to-back games in this series thus far. Game 5 is scheduled for Sunday at 5:08 p.m. ET. Game 6 will take place on Monday as originally planned, with no additional off days remaining in the series.