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The Tampa Bay Rays showed just what they can do when the door is opened just slightly for them. With a heads-up baserunning move and an error, the Rays capitalized to score three runs and even the AL Championship Series at 1-1. The AL’s best team in the regular season now is likely to face the Cleveland Guardians‘ best starter, right-hander Gavin Williams, in Game 3.
Championship Series Chatter
Peralta Pulls Rays Even With Guardians
Final score: Rays 3, Guardians 1
Series: Tied 1-1
Next game: Rays (RHP Griffin Jax) at Guardians (RHP Gavin Williams), Thursday, 6:20 p.m. (TBS)
With everything that has happened to Freddy Peralta this season, it might be easy to forget that the right-handed starter has been this close to the World Series, not once, but twice before. He pitched for the Milwaukee Brewers in 2018 and 2025 in the NL Championship Series, but his team lost both those games. Peralta didn’t want to experience that a third time. Now pitching for the Tampa Bay Rays, Peralta pitched six shutout innings and Liam Hicks drove in a pair of fourth-inning runs to beat the Cleveland Guardians 3-1 in Game 2 of the AL Championship Series. The best-of-seven series is now tied 1-1 heading to Cleveland.
Peralta allowed just four hits and walk three while striking out six, throwing the fastest pitch of his career at 99.4 mph and using his four-seamer 71.7% of the time, his highest rate since a 2019 start. After some major struggles following a spring trade to the New York Mets, Peralta was dealt at the deadline to the Rays, who got him back to doing what made him an ace with the Brewers. It paid off when the Rays, who had the best record in the AL at 98-64, needed him the most and evened the series. Guardians left-hander Parker Messick, a Rays fan growing up nearby, was pretty good himself, going five innings and allowing three unearned runs on six hits and two walks while striking out three.
All the Rays’ runs came in the bottom of the fourth inning. Junior Caminero drew a leadoff walk and was replaced at first following Victor Mesa Jr.’s grounder to second that nearly resulted in a double play (reversed on replay review). After Jonny DeLuca went down swinging for the second out, the speedy Chandler Simpson hit a big chopper to shortstop Brayan Rocchio that he beat out as Mesa raced to an uncovered third base. Ben Williamson then hit a rather routing grounder to third that José Ramírez got caught on an in-between hop and caught the infield seam, skidding under him and into left field, scoring Mesa with the game’s first run and leaving runners at second and third. Hicks then followed with the only ball truly hit to the outfield, a liner to right-center that scored Simpson and Williamson for a 3-0 lead.
That would be enough for the Rays with Peralta dealing and the bullpen atoning for a subpar performance in Game 1, allowing all five of the seven Guardians runs in the final two innings. Sidearmer Kevin Kelly ran into a bit of trouble after replacing Peralta, giving up a walk, a flyout, a single and another flyout. Chase DeLauter followed up his three hits in Game 1 with an RBI single. Left-hander Ian Seymour got the next four outs, then right-handed closer Bryan Baker, who tied with the Guardians’ Cade Smith for the MLB lead with 41 saves, notched his fourth of the postseason with a perfect ninth.
In Another League
Ohtani Convinces Roberts He Is Ready For Breakout
Series: Brewers lead 2-0
Next game: Brewers (LHP Robert Gasser) at Dodgers (LHP Blake Snell), today, 8:20 p.m. (FS1)
It is pretty tough to bench a star player. Imagine how difficult it is to figure out whether or not to take a four-time MVP and the face of the sport is good to go for a postseason game. But that was the task that Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts had on his plate following a 7-4 Game 2 loss to the Milwaukee Brewers that left the two-time defending World Series champs in a 2-0 deficit in the best-of-seven series. After chatting with two-way superstar Shohei Ohtani, whose biceps injury has prevented him from pitching for the rest of the season and also has a left knee injury, Roberts said the Japanese slugger will be in the lineup as the designated hitter for today’s Game 3.
“He was very convicted that he is onto something mechanically,” Roberts said. “He was adamant that he can help us. He’s well enough to help us win a baseball game. So that’s all I needed to hear.”
Ohtani is 3-for-20 (.150) in the postseason and hitting just .197 with one RBI in 35 games since his last homer Aug. 18.
“The symptoms shouldn’t be the reason why I can’t hit,” Ohtani said through his interpreter.
By The Numbers
19-10 Teams that score first this postseason are 19-10, including 2-0 in the ALCS and 0-2 in the NLCS.
27 Rays right-hander Freddy Peralta threw a career-high 27 pitches at 97 mph or higher, surpassing his previous high in any game (postseason or regular season) of 20 in Game 2 of the AL Division Series.
60% Teams with home-field advantage in the LCS and split the first two games have gone on to win the series 24 of 40 times (60%).
Best Moments From Yesterday
Not Today
In addition to hitting homers, Rays third baseman Junior Caminero is pretty good defensively. Don’t try him. Steven Kwan of the Guardians found out the hard way.
Junior Caminero hit the Mutombo ☝️
Catch A Glimpse
It isn’t Haley’s Comet, but doubling up Rays speedster Chandler Simpson is pretty rare.
Impressive turn by the Guardians to double up the speedy Chandler Simpson
— Talkin' Baseball (@talkinbaseballbot.bsky.social) 2026-10-14T00:40:08.000Z
Strayed Too Far
The Rays’ Ben Williamson found out just how good Guardians left-hander Parker Messick’s pickoff move is.
Parker Messick picks off the runner to end the inning!
Noteworthy News
⚾ With his contract with the Houston Astros set to expire after the World Series, manager Joe Espada was given permission to interview with the Seattle Mariners.
⚾ Minor-league attendance dipped for the third straight season, going below 30 million for the first time in decades (not including a COVID-shortened 2021).
Articles You Should Read
Dodgers send SOS to Snell, Glasnow: Save our season — Bill Shaikin, Los Angeles Times
How a “pitbull” catcher exemplifies the best of these Brewers — Tyler Kepner, The Athletic
Shunned by Hall of Fame, Clemens seeking new chapter in life at 64 — Adam Himmelsbach, Boston Globe
