BéisbolRays and Guardians meet again — Tampa Bay leads the recent rivalry 5-3
Four meetings in six days have split these clubs 2-2; the longer head-to-head tilts Tampa Bay's way.
Díaz homered and Aranda drove in two as Tampa Bay's 11-hit road win mirrored Cleveland's 7-3 from five days earlier.
Tampa Bay didn't just beat Cleveland 7-3 — it beat the Guardians with their own number. Five days after Cleveland rolled to a 7-3 win over the Rays, Tampa Bay produced the exact same scoreline on the road, backed by 11 hits, tidy defense and arms that kept the hosts quiet.
Díaz supplied the power with a home run, Aranda drove in two runs, and Martinez led the pitching staff as Tampa Bay stayed in control throughout. Earlier this month Cleveland erased a 2-0 hole on its way to a 7-3 rout in St. Petersburg; this time, the Rays flipped the script.
The timing matters in October. Tampa Bay had already taken a 3-1 decision from Cleveland earlier in this postseason, and now adds a statement road win built on lineup depth. Cleveland, fresh from a 2-0 shutout of the White Sox behind Gavin Williams' 12 strikeouts, will want the next word.
BéisbolFour meetings in six days have split these clubs 2-2; the longer head-to-head tilts Tampa Bay's way.
BéisbolOhtani struck first, but two homers and a bullpen that held firm flipped October's script in Los Angeles.
BéisbolCleveland took two of three this week, but Tampa Bay leads the last eight meetings 5-3 — Sunday can shift it.