Tampa Bay Rays Move One Win Away From World Series Behind Drew Rasmussen's Performance
The Tampa Bay Rays defeated the Cleveland Guardians 3-1, taking a 3-2 lead in the series and moving one victory away from the World Series, powered by an impressive performance from Drew Rasmussen.
The Tampa Bay Rays defeated the Cleveland Guardians 3-1 in Game 5 of the American League Championship Series played at Progressive Field, taking a 3-2 lead in the series and gaining the advantage as they sit one win away from reaching the World Series.
Pitching for the Tampa Bay Rays, Drew Rasmussen gave up only one run and four hits over seven strong innings, shutting down the Cleveland offense. Rasmussen, who escaped trouble in the seventh inning with a 6-4-3 double play, played a leading role in his team's victory.
The Rays kept the score under control with early runs. Jonny DeLuca contributed to the score with a walk in the first inning, Jonathan Aranda with an RBI hit in the second inning, and Liam Hicks with an RBI hit in the third inning. While Cleveland's only run came from an infield groundout in the sixth inning, the bullpen secured the score by closing out the remaining outs. The series will return to St. Petersburg for Game 6.