Rays Even ALCS with Guardians, Force Game 5
Tampa Bay defeated Cleveland 7-3 in Game 4, setting up a decisive Game 5 on Sunday.
The American League Championship Series is headed to a winner-take-all Game 5 after the Tampa Bay Rays defeated the Cleveland Guardians 7-3 in Game 4. The victory evened the series and forced a decisive contest in Cleveland on Sunday.
Junior Caminero was instrumental in the Rays' Game 4 win, contributing to the offense that busted out for the victory. The win came after a rain delay pushed the game to Saturday.
Tampa Bay will turn to pitcher Drew Rasmussen for Game 5. Rasmussen is making his second start of the series. In Game 2, he pitched five innings, allowing six hits and three runs while striking out three. He had a strong start in that game, though a challenging fourth inning impacted his final numbers. The Rays hope he can deliver a performance that allows for pitcher Gavin Williams to potentially return later in the series.
Rasmussen previously pitched in Game 1 of the series, going six innings and giving up eight hits with seven strikeouts, posting an ERA of 1.29. He has a strong track record against the Guardians, with a 1-1 record, a 1.50 ERA, and 15 strikeouts in two regular-season starts against them. His previous postseason start against the Yankees also saw him tie a Tampa Bay franchise record with 10 strikeouts.
His pitching arsenal relies heavily on his cutter, which he uses 28.9% of the time, and his four-seamer, at 28%, according to Statcast. He is a two-time All-Star.
Cleveland's consistent hitters, Jose Ramirez and Petey Halpin, were both hitless in Game 4. They are expected to be key factors in Game 5 as they look to rebound.
One prop bet being highlighted is Rasmussen to go over 5.5 strikeouts in Game 5, with odds of +108 available on FanDuel.