Rays beat Guardians to book a World Series showdown with the Brewers

The Tampa Bay Rays are headed to the World Series for the third time in franchise history, booking a Fall Classic showdown with the Milwaukee Brewers.

The matchup between the Rays and Brewers pits the two best teams during baseball’s regular season against one another for a title. It also ensures history will be made – neither franchise has ever won a World Series.

The Rays punched their ticket to baseball’s biggest stage with a 7-3 victory over the Cleveland Guardians in Game 6 of the American League Championship Series, taking the best-of-seven series four games to two.

The Rays got on the board early when second baseman Richie Palacios laced a double into the gap in right-centerfield, scoring Victor Mesa Jr. and Chandler Simpson. Jonny DeLuca’s sacrifice fly in the next inning gave the Rays a 3-0 lead, and Tropicana Field – usually one of the emptiest stadiums in MLB – was rocking.

The Guardians pulled a run back in the sixth when Nathaniel Lowe knocked a single up the middle, scoring Chase DeLauter. But the moment of the game was to come an inning later when the Rays’ star stepped to the plate.

Junior Caminero, a player who would be a major star in the league if he played in almost any other market, walked to the plate after catcher Liam Hicks drew a walk. Caminero hit 42 home runs during the regular season and is one of the few power threats in the small-ball Rays’ lineup.

On the first pitch, he turned on a split-fingered fastball that ran toward his hands. Showing off his bat speed, Caminero turned on the ball and pulled it down the left field line. It clanged off the foul pole for a two-run home run that ultimately provided far more than just insurance.

In the top of the eighth, the Guardians made their push. DeLauter reached on an infield single and Lowe moved him up with a two-out single of his own. Then the Rays’ bullpen, usually so reliable, turned shaky.

Ian Seymour entered to pitch to rookie star Travis Bazzana and walked him to load the bases. Catcher Patrick Bailey then walked to force in a run and Seymour plunked Angel Martinez to force in another. With the wheels threatening to come off, Rays manager Kevin Cash yanked Seymour and put in Kevin Kelly.

Kelly righted the ship, striking out Brayan Rocchio to end the Cleveland threat.

Just a few moments later, all the worries were set aside for Rays fans.

After Taylor Walls earned a one-out walk, longtime Ray Yandy Díaz stepped to the plate. He took a pitch from Cleveland reliever Hunter Gaddis and turned on it, blasting it over the left field fence and sending the Tropicana Field crowd into delirium.

It’s the third time that the Rays will play for a title after losing in 2008 to the Philadelphia Phillies and in the Covid-19 shortened 2020 season to the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Their opponents, the Brewers, are returning to the Fall Classic for the first time since 1982.

The first game of the Fall Classic will be played at 8 p.m. ET on Friday at American Family Field in Milwaukee.

坦帕湾光芒队将第三次晋级世界大赛，与密尔沃基酿酒人队展开秋季经典赛的对决。

光芒队和酿酒人队的对决，是棒球常规赛中最强的两支球队为了总冠军而展开的巅峰对决。这也注定将创造历史——这两支球队此前都从未赢得过世界大赛冠军。

光芒队在美联冠军系列赛第六场比赛中以 7-3 战胜克利夫兰卫士队，从而获得了晋级棒球最高舞台的资格，并在七场四胜制的系列赛中以 4-2 获胜。

光芒队开局便取得领先，二垒手里奇·帕拉西奥斯击出一记右中外野方向的二垒安打，维克托·梅萨和钱德勒·辛普森得分。下一局，乔尼·德卢卡的高飞牺牲打让光芒队以3-0领先，而通常MLB最空旷的球场之一——纯品康纳球场——此刻沸腾了。

第六局，守护者队凭借纳撒尼尔·洛维击出的中路安打扳回一分，将蔡斯·德劳特送回本垒得分。但比赛的真正高潮出现在下一局，光芒队的明星球员走上打击区。

小卡米内罗（Junior Caminero）如果效力于其他任何球队，都会成为联盟的超级巨星。在捕手利亚姆·希克斯（Liam Hicks）获得保送后，他走上了打击区。卡米内罗在常规赛中击出42支本垒打，是光芒队这套以小球战术为主的阵容中为数不多的强力打者之一。

第一球，他挥棒击中一记指叉快速球，球径直朝他飞来。卡米内罗挥棒速度惊人，将球拉向左外野边线。球击中界外柱后弹起，形成一记两分全垒打，最终带来的远不止是保险分。

第八局上半，守护者队发起反击。德劳特击出内野安打上垒，洛维随后也击出两出局安打，将他推进到二垒。之后，光芒队一向可靠的牛棚投手群开始出现动摇。

伊恩·西摩上场投球，面对新秀球星特拉维斯·巴扎纳，他保送了巴扎纳，垒上满垒。随后，捕手帕特里克·贝利也获得保送，送回一分。西摩又击中安赫尔·马丁内斯，送回一分。眼看形势岌岌可危，光芒队主教练凯文·卡什立即换下西摩，派上凯文·凯利。

凯利稳住阵脚，三振布莱恩·罗基奥，终结了克利夫兰的威胁。

仅仅片刻之后，光芒队球迷的所有担忧都烟消云散了。

泰勒·沃尔斯获得保送上垒后，老将雷·扬迪·迪亚兹走上打击区。他面对克利夫兰救援投手亨特·加迪斯的投球，猛力挥棒，将球轰出左外野围墙，引爆了纯品康纳球场的全场球迷。

这是光芒队第三次争夺总冠军，他们曾在 2008 年输给费城费城人队，并在因新冠疫情缩短的 2020 赛季输给洛杉矶道奇队。

他们的对手酿酒人队自 1982 年以来首次重返世界大赛。

世界大赛首场比赛将于美国东部时间周五晚上 8 点在密尔沃基的美国家庭球场举行。