Sports · NEWS EXPLAINER
Rays beat Guardians 7-3 in Game 6 to reach the 2026 World Series
Tampa Bay won the ALCS four games to two behind homers from Junior Caminero and Yandy Díaz and a 5 1/3-inning start from series MVP Freddy Peralta.
The Tampa Bay Rays beat the Cleveland Guardians 7-3 on October 19 to win the American League Championship Series in six games and advance to the World Series. Junior Caminero and Yandy Díaz hit two-run homers, while Freddy Peralta allowed one run over 5 1/3 innings.
The result sends Tampa Bay to its third World Series and first since 2020. The Rays will open the best-of-seven championship series Friday night in Milwaukee against the Brewers, guaranteeing a first-time champion.
How Tampa Bay built the lead
Richie Palacios put Tampa Bay ahead with a two-run double in the second inning, and Jonny DeLuca added a sacrifice fly in the third. Cleveland cut the margin to 3-1 in the sixth, but the Rays answered before the Guardians could turn the game.
The swings that settled Game 6
Caminero hit a two-run homer in the seventh for a 5-1 lead. Cleveland scored twice in the eighth without a hit, on a bases-loaded walk and a hit batter, before Díaz restored the four-run margin with a two-run homer in the bottom half.
Peralta closed an MVP series
Peralta worked 5 1/3 innings, allowing one run on five hits with three walks and three strikeouts. The start followed six scoreless innings in Game 2 and a relief appearance in Game 4, a body of work that earned him the ALCS MVP award.
What the pennant means
The Rays secured the third American League pennant in franchise history. Their previous World Series appearances came in 2008 and 2020; the franchise is still seeking its first championship.
What comes next
Tampa Bay will face Milwaukee in a World Series between two franchises that have never won the title. Game 1 is scheduled for Friday at 8 p.m. ET in Milwaukee. The game result and schedule are confirmed; pitching plans and roster decisions can still change.
