ST. PETERSBURG — The Tampa Bay Rays are one win from the World Series, and they get their first shot at it at home tonight. Game 6 of the American League Championship Series against the Cleveland Guardians starts at 8:08 p.m. Monday at Tropicana Field.
A win would send the Rays to the World Series for the third time in franchise history, after 2008 and 2020. A loss would force a Game 7 at the Trop on Tuesday night.
How the Rays got here
Tampa Bay took a 3-2 series lead Sunday with a 3-1 win in Cleveland. Drew Rasmussen held the Guardians to one run on four hits over seven innings, walking one and striking out six, MLB.com reported. The Rays scored once in each of the first three innings, with Jonny DeLuca, Jonathan Aranda and Liam Hicks each driving in a run, and Yandy Díaz added three hits, according to FOX 13.
Díaz didn't hedge afterward. “It's a great opportunity. All of us are thinking of it,” he said, according to MLB.com. “But it all ends tomorrow. We're going to win tomorrow.”
Cleveland manager Stephen Vogt pointed to his team's comeback from an 0-2 hole against the White Sox in the Division Series. “Let's go. We don't have another choice,” Vogt said. “This is when this team thrives.”
The series so far:
- Game 1: Guardians 7, Rays 3 (at Tropicana Field)
- Game 2: Rays 3, Guardians 1 (at Tropicana Field)
- Game 3: Guardians 3, Rays 2 (at Progressive Field)
- Game 4: Rays 7, Guardians 3 (at Progressive Field)
- Game 5: Rays 3, Guardians 1 (at Progressive Field)
The turnaround is tight. Friday's Game 4 in Cleveland was called off by rain shortly after 9 p.m., pushing it to Saturday and Game 5 to Sunday, while Games 6 and 7 stayed on their original dates, NBC reported. That erased the off day the schedule had built in for the trip back to St. Petersburg.
How to watch
Game 6 airs on TBS and truTV and streams on HBO Max, per MLB's postseason schedule. Spanish-language TV coverage is on UniMas, and Spanish radio is on Univision's TUDN Radio.
Who's pitching
Freddy Peralta starts for Tampa Bay. The right-hander threw six scoreless innings in the Rays' Game 2 win and is 6-0 with a 0.79 ERA in nine appearances, eight of them starts, since Aug. 26, according to MLB.com. He threw nine pitches in relief in Game 4, an outing that replaced his usual between-starts bullpen session.
Cleveland plans a bullpen game, with right-hander Slade Cecconi a possible opener. Vogt said after Game 5 that ace Gavin Williams won't pitch on short rest, which lines him up for a Game 7 if the Guardians force one.
Former Rays center fielder B.J. Upton, who hit seven homers during the 2008 pennant run, will throw out the ceremonial first pitch.
Tickets
The Rays' Game 6 ticket page lists tickets as limited and points fans to SeatGeek, the team's official resale marketplace, for whatever else is available.
Getting to the Trop
- Gates open at 5 p.m. Drinks, including beer, wine and nonalcoholic options, are buy-one, get-one from 5 to 7 p.m., and the Rays are expected to take batting practice around 5 p.m., MLB.com reported. FOX 13 reported that rally towels will be waiting on every seat.
- Parking is prepaid only. Stadium lots open at 3 p.m., and the Rays say no parking will be sold at the gate for postseason games. If you don't have a pass, check the team's Tropicana Field parking page before you leave. Once lots sell out, the team suggests overflow garages and lots around downtown St. Pete.
- Rideshare drop-off is at Gate 4, on 16th Street South across from Lot 1. Guests using ADA services can be dropped off and picked up at Gate 1 or Gate 4.
- The SunRunner stops on the north side of the stadium. The bus rapid transit line runs every 15 minutes until 8 p.m. and every 30 minutes from 8 p.m. to midnight, according to the Rays.
- A free Baseball Shuttle runs from downtown for playoff games, starting three hours before first pitch and running until two hours after the final out, according to the city of St. Petersburg's postseason parking guide.
Watching nearby
Hundreds of fans filled the Trop for a Game 5 watch party Sunday, playing catch on the field and cheering on the big screen, FOX 13 reported. “I think we're going to win the whole thing. Absolutely,” fan Cesar Larios Sr. told the station. “We have the guys. We got the Rays magic.”
Across from the stadium, Ferg's Sports Bar & Grill at 1320 Central Ave. plans a watch party with the game on its Jumbotron, FOX 13 reported. Check with individual bars for their game-night plans.
What's next
The Milwaukee Brewers, who swept the Los Angeles Dodgers in the National League Championship Series, are waiting. The World Series opens Friday, Oct. 23, at Milwaukee's American Family Field, with every game on FOX, FOX One and FOX Deportes, according to MLB.
If the Guardians win tonight, Game 7 is Tuesday night at Tropicana Field.
A Rays-Brewers World Series would be the first Fall Classic between two franchises still chasing their first title since the Phillies and Royals met in 1980, MLB.com noted. Cleveland hasn't won a championship since 1948.