Guardians Take ALCS Game 1 Over Rays After Late-Inning Rally

Nathaniel Lowe delivered a tiebreaking, two-run single in the eighth inning to propel the Cleveland Guardians to a 7-3 victory over the Tampa Bay Rays in Game 1 of the American League Championship Series on Monday night. The win gave the Guardians a 1-0 series lead.

Chase DeLauter and Patrick Bailey also contributed with solo home runs off Rays pitcher Drew Rasmussen. The Guardians' bullpen provided five innings of one-run, two-hit relief to secure the win. This victory continued Cleveland's momentum after they overcame a 0-2 deficit in their AL Division Series against the Chicago White Sox.

Cade Smith pitched a perfect ninth inning to close out the game for Cleveland. Smith had appeared in all five games of the previous series.

Rasmussen had held the Guardians scoreless until the sixth inning, when DeLauter hit an opposite-field home run. Bailey's long solo shot to center field in the seventh inning ended Rasmussen's outing.

José Ramírez led off the eighth with an infield single against reliever Tyler Wells. DeLauter followed with a double, setting the stage for Lowe's go-ahead single off reliever Ian Seymour. Lowe lined an 0-2 pitch up the middle to drive in two runs, giving Cleveland a 4-2 lead.

Cedric Mullins hit a solo home run in the bottom half of the eighth for the Rays, who had not trailed in their ALDS sweep of the New York Yankees. Ramírez later added an insurance run with an RBI single in the ninth.

Junior Caminero and Jonny DeLuca each had RBI singles in the first inning, giving the Rays an early 2-0 lead against Guardians starter Foster Griffin. Griffin allowed two runs and five hits in four innings.

The announced attendance was 35,361 at Tropicana Field.

Game 2 is scheduled for Tuesday night at Tropicana Field, with rookie lefty Parker Messick expected to start for Cleveland against Rays right-hander Freddy Peralta.