Guardians Rally Past Rays 7-3 in ALCS Game 1

The Cleveland Guardians opened the 2026 American League Championship Series with a 7-3 comeback win over the Tampa Bay Rays on Monday night at Tropicana Field. Cleveland trailed 2-0 through five innings before scoring seven times over the final four frames to take a 1-0 lead in the best-of-seven series. MLB's official game story confirms the final score and setting.

Tampa Bay scored both of its early runs in the first inning. Yandy Díaz led off with a double, and Junior Caminero singled him home for a 1-0 lead. Jonny DeLuca added another RBI single with two outs, making it 2-0. The Rays did not score again until the eighth inning. MLB's Rays-side report details both first-inning runs.

Cleveland's comeback began with Chase DeLauter's solo home run in the sixth, which cut the deficit to 2-1. Patrick Bailey led off the seventh with another solo homer, tying the game 2-2. José Ramírez then opened the eighth with an infield single, DeLauter doubled, and Nathaniel Lowe brought both runners home with a single up the middle to give the Guardians a 4-2 lead.

Cedric Mullins answered with a solo homer in the bottom of the eighth, pulling Tampa Bay within 4-3. Cleveland responded with three more runs in the ninth to complete the 7-3 victory. The order is clear: DeLauter produced Cleveland's first run, Bailey tied the game one inning later, and Lowe delivered the hit that put the Guardians ahead for good.