Rays capitalize on Guardians errors, win 7-3 to tie ALCS at 2-2

AP Photo/David J. Phillip

By JOE REEDY AP Sports Writer

CLEVELAND (AP) -- Tampa Bay manager Kevin Cash wasn't concerned about the struggles of his top four hitters through the first three games of the AL Championship Series against the Cleveland Guardians.

Cash's confidence in the top of the lineup paid off Saturday night as the Rays evened the series at 2-2.

Jonathan Aranda's single led to two runs in the seventh inning when the ball got by right fielder Chase DeLauter and helped propel Tampa Bay to a 7-3 victory.

The first four hitters in the Rays order -- Yandy Díaz, Aranda, Chandler Simpson and Junior Caminero -- had six of their 11 hits and drove in six runs after they went 7 for 41 with three RBIs during the first three ALCS games.

"A lot of really good at-bats. A lot of hard hits," Cash said. "But overall, just happy that Junior squared some balls up, Aranda came through in a big way for us and then Yandy there at the end with a add-on homer."

The best-of-seven matchup became a best-of-three. Game 5 is Sunday in Cleveland before the series shifts back to St. Petersburg, Florida, on Monday. There is no off day for travel after Friday's game was postponed by rain.

"It was a big bounce-back game. It feels good, but we're going to take it one game at a time and not look ahead. But we're glad to be going back home after that," Simpson said.

Aranda had three hits and drove in two runs, Diaz had two hits and two RBIs, including a two-run homer in the ninth off Matt Festa, while Simpson and Caminero each drove in a run.

"It was just a matter of time to get going. We can use this going forward," Aranda said through translator Kevin Vera.

Error, timely hitting allow Rays to break it open in 7th

Tampa Bay took a 2-1 lead in the sixth when Caminero lined a double to the left-field wall off Daniel Espino (0-1), then broke open the game in a three-run seventh.

Richie Palacios and Taylor Walls got aboard on base hits and moved into scoring position on a double steal. After Díaz struck out, Aranda lined a single past a diving Bazzana, who was playing near the grass between first and second, and into right field to score Palacios. When DeLauter allowed the ball under his glove, Walls came around from second. Aranda went all the way to third on the error and scored on Simpson's sacrifice fly.

"It looked like it may have snaked on him or just skipped by him, took his eye off of it," Cleveland manager Stephen Vogt said. "A couple unfortunate plays for us tonight that we usually complete and just weren't able to do it."

"Those were the two runs we needed. In the moment, I see the ball go under the hands of DeLauter, I said, it's time to run," said Aranda, who went 0 for 10 in the first three games,

Sharp outing by Martinez

Nick Martinez continued his mastery of Cleveland this season.

Pitching on a 46-degree night -- the coldest postgame game in Rays' history -- the right-hander allowed one run and two hits. After DeLauter's RBI single put Cleveland up 1-0 in the first, Martinez (1-0) retired 10 straight at one point before walking Bazzana leading off the fifth.

"I think your most important games are in the cold weather. We have obviously the climate controlled ... But I think you just try to put that aside, right? These games are important," Martinez said. "To look at ticky-tack stuff like that about the weather, honestly, you're just so jacked up to be pitching in these moments you're not really thinking about the weather.

In three starts this season against Cleveland, Martinez went 3-0 and gave up one run in 18 1/3 innings with 12 strikeouts.

Freddy Peralta -- who started Game 2 on Tuesday and threw six scoreless innings -- relieved Martinez and got the final two outs on the sixth. The right-hander threw only nine pitches and could still be in line to start Game 6 on Monday.

Rollercoaster night for Guardians' rookies

DeLauter and Travis Bazzana had key hits at the plate, but also struggled baserunning and in the field.

DeLauter was easily tagged out at second after his RBI single when he tried to extend it to a double along with his error in the seventh. Bazzana hit his first postseason home run but also had a tough time fielding at second base.

Bazzana homered in the seventh against Ian Seymour and Brayan Rocchio added an RBI single as Cleveland closed to 5-3.

"You just got to flush it and come back strong tomorrow," Bazzana said about the loss. "I think we've been in situations where it gets tough, it gets tighter, it gets harder, a little closer to the end of the season and you just got to fight for that next win and be present tomorrow. So yeah, we've seen this kind of situation before and we just got to bounce back."

Halpin's web gem

Caminero drove a fastball to Griffin deep to center, before Center fielder Petey Halpin made a leaping catch before crashing into the nook between the 19-foot wall in left and the 9-foot wall in center.

"It's all right," Halpin said of the wall. "Yeah, it was a good play, but I feel good. It's pretty forgiving. So I mean, there's no better time than now to go for the ball."

Up next

Cleveland rookie Parker Messick (0-2, 3.09 ERA) will make his fourth start this postseason. He went five innings and was charged with three unearned runs in Tuesday's 3-1 loss in Game 2. Tampa Bay's Drew Rasmussen (1-0, 1.29 ERA) allowed two runs over six innings in Game 1 and struck out seven before the Guardians rallied for a 7-3 victory.

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