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Tampa Bay Rays: Former player Gabe Gross predicts title - FOX 13 Tampa Bay

Updated Oct 26 · 8:16 AM EDT · via Tampa Bay local desk

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The team at a glance

Tampa Bay Rays

Team deskTampa Bay RaysFull report and sources below
Coverage2026Season as listed by the desk
Roster entries26Full personnel board below
Report sections8Open any section for the complete evidence

From the report’s saved schedule and roster. Live game status appears in the game widget.

The quick read

What matters now

The big picture

The Tampa Bay Rays went 98-64, but they are down 0-2 after 3-2 and 5-4 losses in Milwaukee. Third baseman Junior Caminero owns the one swing that can still drag this World Series to the Trop and back.

Personnel

The Tampa Bay Rays are down 0-2 after scoring six runs in 3-2 and 5-4 losses in Milwaukee, and the 26-man group looks top-heavy. Junior Caminero leads the short list of proven thump that must carry three home games.

Performance

The Tampa Bay Rays have scored 41 runs while hitting .230 with a .640 OPS through 11 October games, and they are down 0-2 after 3-2 and 5-4 losses. Junior Caminero still carries the 42-homer profile that can flip cold math fast.

What comes next

The Tampa Bay Rays are down 0-2 after 3-2 and 5-4 losses in Milwaukee, with three straight home games starting Oct. 26. Drew Rasmussen and Nick Martinez must provide length, or the Trop stand becomes a farewell.

01Team outlookThe complete editorial outlook and game-week context.
FLSportsDesk.com · Team Outlook

Team Outlook

The Tampa Bay Rays went 98-64, but they are down 0-2 after 3-2 and 5-4 losses in Milwaukee. Third baseman Junior Caminero owns the one swing that can still drag this World Series to the Trop and back.

Tampa Bay earned the American League's No. 1 seed with a 98-64 record and plus-86 run differential, then swept New York and finished Cleveland in six games. The Rays are hitting .230 with a .640 OPS through 11 October games, so the blown 4-0 lead in Game 2 hurts twice. Starting-pitcher length now decides whether the bullpen reaches the Trop with anything left.

Milwaukee won Game 1 by 3-2 and Game 2 by 5-4 after erasing a 4-0 deficit, a comeback MLB.com described as steady two-strike damage. An 0-2 hole in a 2-3-2 series leaves no margin.

Watch Freddy Peralta's pitch count early in Game 3 at the Trop, whether Liam Hicks and Caminero hit with men aboard and whether Bryan Baker gets a clean ninth with a lead. Traffic plus length will decide whether Florida gets a comeback or a eulogy.

Reporting for this desk

DRaysBay

Tampa Bay Rays finalize World Series roster

The Tampa Bay Rays are ready to face the Milwaukee Brewers in the World Series as they have announced their roster of 26 players for the Fall Classic. The roster is identical to what they rolled out when they swept the New York Yankees in the American League Division Series, as they have swapped top […]

DRaysBay

Can we go home now?:Rays 4, Brewers, 5

Simply put, the Rays deserved to win this one for half of an inning. During that half inning, they jumped out to a four-run lead, capitalized on a mistake, and provided Drew Rasmussen with as much run support as they had in his prior three playoff starts combined. Then, over the course of the next […]

Competitive position

98-64

0.605winning percentage through 162 regular-season games

Run differential: +86 · 736 scored · 650 allowed

What it means

Tampa Bay is 34 games over .500 with a +86 run differential. The Rays have gone 5-4 across the last 9 games, which is the current form beneath the season record.

The catch: The standings establish the race. Rotation health, bullpen leverage and lineup depth determine whether Tampa Bay can control it through September.

Final 2026 regular-season record: 98-64.

Next series

status, replacement and game-plan impact

Availability Watch

  • Shane McClanahan OUT Left Forearm · McClanahan (forearm) won't be available to pitch during the rest of the postseason, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.
  • Austin Overn DAY-TO-DAY Undisclosed · Overn didn't make any appearances for Double-A Montgomery after Aug. 4 due to an unspecified injury.
  • Jacob Melton 60-DAY-IL Right Hamstring · The Rays recalled Melton from Triple-A Durham and placed him on the 60-day injured list Tuesday due to a right hamstring strain.
  • Gavin Lux 60-DAY-IL Left Shoulder · Lux (shoulder) has resumed full baseball activity, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.
  • Edwin Uceta 60-DAY-IL Right Shoulder · Uceta (shoulder) is playing catch from 75 feet, per MLB.com.
  • Marshall Toole DAY-TO-DAY Undisclosed
  • Daniel Pierce DAY-TO-DAY Left Shoulder · Pierce had left shoulder surgery and is likely done for the season, Ian Cundall of Baseball America reports.
  • Austin Vernon DAY-TO-DAY Right Elbow · Triple-A Durham placed Vernon (elbow) on its full-season injured list Friday.
  • Anderson Brito DAY-TO-DAY Right Forearm
  • Jonathan Heasley 60-DAY-IL Right Elbow · Heasley was returned to the major-league roster and placed on the 15-day injured list Tuesday with a right elbow stress reaction.
  • Ryan Pepiot 60-DAY-IL Right Hip · Pepiot will undergo surgery on his right hip May 13 and miss the rest of the 2026 season, Ryan Bass of Rays.tv reports.
  • Alfredo Zarraga DAY-TO-DAY Undisclosed · no
  • Brian Van Belle DAY-TO-DAY Right Elbow · Van Belle (elbow) signed a two-year, minor-league contract with the Rays on Wednesday, Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times reports.
  • Garrett Cleavinger Left forearm tightness OUT (desk report: 15-day IL, 9/7 roster moves)
Live from the ESPN injury report and desk reporting. Updated Mon Oct 26, 10:00 AM ET.
02ColumnsDesk voice, arguments and the opinionated side of the report.
Rays Desk · Column

Freddy Peralta Takes the Ball at the Trop With the Rays Down 2-0 in the World Series

By Nick Cerbone, Editor-In-Chief · Oct 26, 2026

The Rays are down 2-0 in the World Series after 2 losses by a single run in Milwaukee. Game 3 is at Tropicana Field at 8 PM ET. Home is the last place left to turn this.

The opener ended 3-2 on a strikeout. Brewers closer Trevor Megill got center fielder Jonny DeLuca with 2 runners in scoring position, 1 play after a game-ending double play call was overturned on video review. Game 2 went 5-4. The Rays built an early lead and gave it back.

By a run. Then by a run again. A team that won 98 games and the AL East has been edged twice by a Brewers club that won 103 and the NL Central. Neither game was a beating. Both were there to be taken.

That puts the series on the right arm of Freddy Peralta. The ALCS MVP brings a 1.08 postseason ERA, 2 earned runs in 16 2/3 innings. Milwaukee answers with left-hander Robert Gasser and a 1.00 ERA. Runs will be scarce in Game 3. The Rays already know exactly what scarce feels like.

The bat to stop is catcher William Contreras: 15 for 38 in the playoffs, 3 home runs, the steadiest hitter in the Milwaukee order. Make somebody else beat you.

Lose Game 3 and the Rays are 1 defeat from the end. Down 2-0 is a hole. Down 3-0 is a grave.

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Rays Desk · Column

Nick Martinez Gets the Ball as the Rays Open the World Series in Milwaukee

By Nick Cerbone, Editor-In-Chief · Oct 23, 2026

1.80. Brewers starter Jacob Misiorowski led the majors with that ERA, and Tampa Bay counters in Game 1 of the World Series with right-hander Nick Martinez, not usual Game 1 starter Drew Rasmussen.

First pitch is 8 PM ET on Oct. 23 at American Family Field.

Rasmussen opened the ALDS. He opened the ALCS. The Rays want him on an extra day of rest, so he goes in Game 2 on Oct. 24, and ALCS MVP Freddy Peralta, a former Brewer, gets Game 3 at Tropicana Field on Oct. 26.

Martinez earned this. He is 36, went 15-6 with a 3.10 ERA over 180 innings, and has allowed 3 runs in 9 postseason innings against the Yankees and the Guardians.

Milwaukee has been off for more than a week since sweeping the Dodgers in the NLCS. Fresh arm. Idle lineup.

So here is the risk. A 36-year-old against a lineup that has not faced a live pitch that counted in over a week. If the rust is real, Martinez steals Game 1. If it is not, the Rays handed the best ERA in baseball a head start to buy Rasmussen 1 extra day.

Games 3 and 4 are at the Trop, plus Game 5 if necessary. Both clubs went 55-26 at home, so the Trop only cancels Milwaukee's building, and the series tilts on the road, where the 43-38 Rays ran 5 games behind the 48-33 Brewers. Win 1 of 2 in Milwaukee, and the Rays come home with at least a split and Peralta waiting.

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Rays Desk · Column

The Rays Are Back in the World Series, and Freddy Peralta Carried Them There

By Nick Cerbone, Editor-In-Chief · Oct 20, 2026

On Oct. 19, 2008, the Rays won their first American League pennant. Eighteen years later to the day, they won another.

Tampa Bay beat Cleveland 7-3 in Game 6 of the ALCS at Tropicana Field to take the series 4-2. It is the third pennant in franchise history and the Rays' first trip to the World Series since 2020. They open against Milwaukee on Oct. 23 at 8 PM ET at American Family Field.

Freddy Peralta set the tone again. He held the Guardians to one run over 5 1/3 innings for his second win of the series, after six scoreless innings in Game 2 and two outs in relief in Game 4. He was named ALCS MVP. Peralta came to Tampa Bay from the Mets before the trade deadline. He finished the series 2-0.

The offense gave him room early. Richie Palacios hit a two-run double in the second inning for a 2-0 lead. Junior Caminero hit a two-run homer in the seventh. Yandy Díaz, who had promised a Game 6 win the day before, added a two-run homer in the eighth.

The Rays and Brewers have never met in the postseason. Neither Tampa Bay nor Milwaukee has won a World Series, so the 2026 champion will be a first-timer. Milwaukee has home field and hosts Games 1 and 2. The Rays host Games 3, 4 and 5 at the Trop, with Game 5 only if needed.

For Tampa Bay, the job is simple to describe. The Rays have never won the World Series. They are four wins from a first title.

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Rays Desk · Column

The Rays Are One Win From the World Series, and Freddy Peralta Gets the Ball at Home

By Nick Cerbone, Editor-In-Chief · Oct 19, 2026

The Rays went to Cleveland needing to win two of three to bring the ALCS back to Tropicana Field with a lead. They won the last two. Now they need one more.

Tampa Bay leads the series 3-2 after a 3-1 win in Game 5 on Oct. 18. Game 6 is Oct. 19 at the Trop, 8 PM ET on TBS, with Freddy Peralta starting for the Rays. Cleveland had not named a starter and is expected to piece the game together with its bullpen. A win sends the Rays to the World Series for the third time, after 2008 and 2020, to face NL champion Milwaukee.

Drew Rasmussen made sure the series came home this way. He held the Guardians to one run on four hits over seven innings in Game 5, walking one and striking out six. The Rays scored once in each of the first three innings, chasing Parker Messick after two, and that was enough. Cam Booser and Tyler Wells got the eighth, and Bryan Baker closed it.

He also fixed the one thing that went wrong for him in Game 1. That night Patrick Bailey hit a game-tying homer off him leading off the seventh, and Rasmussen left after six innings. On Oct. 18 he went back out for the seventh and finished it.

Yandy Díaz had three hits in Game 5, and he made a prediction afterward.

"It's a great opportunity. All of us are thinking of it," Díaz said. "But it all ends tomorrow. We're going to win tomorrow."

Peralta is the reason the Rays can talk that way. In Game 2 at the Trop he threw six scoreless innings, allowing four hits and two walks with six strikeouts, and threw the hardest fastball of his career at 99.4 mph. He also got two scoreless outs in relief in Game 4. That gives him 6 2/3 scoreless innings in this series.

Cleveland's problem is the other side of that matchup. Gavin Williams, Cleveland's ace, won Game 3 by holding the Rays to two runs over five innings. Manager Stephen Vogt said after Game 5 that starting Williams on short rest in Game 6 is "not an option," which lines him up for a Game 7 if Cleveland gets there. Before that, Vogt has to find 27 outs somewhere else.

The Guardians have done this before. They lost the first two games of the ALDS to the White Sox, then won three straight to advance. They need two straight now, both on the road.

The series has gone back and forth from the start. Cleveland won Game 1 7-3 with five runs over the last two innings. The Rays won Game 2 3-1 behind Peralta. Cleveland won Game 3 3-2. Game 4 was rained out, pushed back a day, and the Rays won it 7-3 on Oct. 17. Díaz put that one away with a two-run homer in the ninth.

No Rays player is coming off the injured list for this series. Shane McClanahan, out since early September with left forearm tightness, was shut down before the ALCS. He is healthy and with the team but not active.

The Rays went 98-64 and won the AL East. They have home field, the momentum of two road wins and a starter who has not allowed Cleveland a run in this series. None of that guarantees anything against a team that already came back from 0-2 this month.

But the Rays are where they wanted to be when they left Cleveland. One win, at home, with Peralta.

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Rays Desk · Column

The Rain Took the Off Day. It Did Not Take the Series.

By Nick Cerbone, Editor-In-Chief · Oct 17, 2026

Rain wiped out Friday and compressed the ALCS into three games in three days. Down 2-1, the Rays hand Nick Martinez the ball tonight with no slack left.

October does not care about your rotation plans.

Game 4 of the ALCS never started Friday night. The rain sat over Progressive Field, waited out everybody's optimism, and sent the Rays and Guardians home with the series exactly where Thursday left it: Cleveland up 2-1, Tampa Bay one bad night from real trouble.

So now the whole series compresses. Game 4 is tonight, Saturday, at 8 PM ET in Cleveland. Game 5 is Sunday at 5. Game 6, if the Rays earn it, is Monday night back at Tropicana Field. Three games in three days, two cities, no breath in between. The off day that was supposed to reset both bullpens is gone, and the team that manages the next 72 hours best is the team that gets Milwaukee.

Start with what the rain actually changed. Cleveland manager Stephen Vogt was going to run a bullpen game in Game 4 anyway, opened by reliever Shawn Armstrong. A rainout is a gift to that plan. Every Guardians arm gets the extra day, and the bullpen game stops being a gamble and starts being a rested weapon.

The Rays' answer has a name. Right-hander Nick Martinez gets the ball for Tampa Bay, and his job description fits on an index card: length. Martinez's last postseason start, Game 3 of the ALDS against the Yankees, lasted 3 2/3 innings with two runs allowed. That was fine in a series the Rays controlled. This is not that series. A short start tonight does not just lose a game. It burns the bullpen a day before Game 5 and two days before a possible Game 6 at the Trop.

That is the tax the rain imposed. Not rest. Exposure.

And do not let the schedule noise bury the actual baseball problem. The Rays trail this series because of one swing. Center fielder Petey Halpin, hitting out of the eight hole, turned a 2-1 deficit into a 3-2 lead with one fifth-inning homer in Game 3, and Tampa Bay's bats never answered. Three runs in Game 1. Three in the Game 2 win. Two in Game 3. Eight runs in three games from the lineup that won 98 games in the regular season, and right now it is hitting like it is waiting for a warmer month.

Here is the counterweight, and it is real. The Rays already own the hardest win of this series. They took Game 2 at home, 3-1, with the season wobbling. They swept the Yankees without trailing. This roster has spent six months answering the exact question tonight asks: who are you when the plan dies?

Win tonight and the math flips violently. A 2-2 series, Game 5 tomorrow with the Trop and a Game 6 waiting behind it, Cleveland's bullpen game spent. Lose tonight and Sunday becomes an elimination game on the road, in the cold, with the Brewers already resting in Milwaukee and the World Series starting Friday whether the Rays are in it or not.

Nobody in that clubhouse needs the standings explained. The rain gave both teams a day to think. Cleveland got to think about how close it is. Tampa Bay got to think about how fast close becomes gone.

First pitch is 8 PM ET. The series is not lost. It is just out of slack.

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Rays Desk · Column

The Rays Lost Game 1 in the Last Three Innings, and Freddy Peralta Has to Buy Them Back Tonight

By Nick Cerbone, Editor-In-Chief · Oct 13, 2026

For six innings Monday night, Tropicana Field got exactly the game it ordered. Then Cleveland took it away.

The Guardians beat the Rays 7-3 in Game 1 of the ALCS and lead the series 1-0. Game 2 is tonight at 8 PM ET at the Trop, with Freddy Peralta on the mound for Tampa Bay and rookie left-hander Parker Messick starting for Cleveland.

The opener started the way the Rays draw it up. Junior Caminero and Jonny DeLuca had RBI singles in the first inning off Foster Griffin, and Drew Rasmussen carried a 2-0 lead into the sixth. Chase DeLauter led off that inning with an opposite-field homer. Rasmussen came back to the dugout after six with 90 pitches and told Kevin Cash he was good to stay in, with Tyler Wells and Cam Booser warming.

Patrick Bailey hit Rasmussen's next pitch, his 91st and last, an estimated 436 feet to center to tie it at 2. Booser got through the seventh. In the eighth, José Ramírez opened with an infield single off Wells, who was pitching for the first time in a month, and DeLauter doubled to right. Ian Seymour came in and gave up a two-run single up the middle to Nathaniel Lowe on an 0-2 pitch, and Cleveland led 4-2. Cedric Mullins answered with a solo homer off Erik Sabrowski in the bottom of the eighth.

The ninth was worse. Ramírez singled in a run off Cole Sulser to make it 5-3, then broke for third with two outs and two strikes on Jo Adell. Caminero ran to cover the bag, and Adell hit a sharp grounder right where he had been standing. It rolled into left for a two-run double.

The bullpen that barely had to work against the Yankees gave up 5 runs in two innings. Taylor Walls went 0 for 3, struck out with the bases loaded to end the first, and left six runners on base. And the Rays, who allowed 12 hits in three games against New York, gave up 14 in one night, three each to Ramírez and DeLauter. The loss also ended a franchise-record 13-game winning streak in Rasmussen's starts.

That is why tonight leans so hard on Peralta. The right-hander came over from the Mets at the deadline and changed his season. He had a 4.99 ERA in 22 starts in New York, then a 3.25 ERA in 10 starts for Tampa Bay, finishing with a 4-0, 0.96 ERA September that earned him AL Pitcher of the Month, per MLB.com. In Game 2 of the ALDS he held the Yankees to one run on three hits over 4 2/3 innings. The Rays need more than 14 outs from him tonight.

They might be able to live with less, because the bullpen is mostly still fresh. Sulser is likely unavailable after throwing 27 pitches Monday, per MLB.com, and Seymour is unlikely to go back to back. Nobody else threw more than nine. Closer Bryan Baker, who saved all three ALDS games, was not needed.

Messick has been the bigger question this month. He pitched at an ace level for much of the regular season, but the ALDS was rough. He took the loss in Game 1 against the White Sox, allowing two runs over 4 1/3 innings, then gave up two more over 2 1/3 innings in Game 4. He did strike out 11 in those two outings. He has not thrown more than five innings since Sept. 16, per MLB.com, and he said Monday he feels good physically. His changeup neutralized right-handed hitters all season, so Cash may mix some left-handed bats into a lineup that went all righties against Griffin.

Cleveland's bullpen is the problem behind him. Daniel Espino, Joey Cantillo, Hunter Gaddis and Erik Sabrowski each threw an inning of relief Monday before Cade Smith needed just six pitches for a 1-2-3 ninth. With an off day Wednesday, Stephen Vogt can empty the pen if he has to.

MLB.com reported that Caminero and DeLuca were both fine after a scary collision chasing a foul ball late in Game 1, with Caminero struck in the chest. Shane McClanahan, out since early September with left forearm tightness, has been shut down for the rest of the postseason. Cleveland reported no injuries.

The Rays went 98-64 and never trailed in their sweep of the Yankees. One bad finish does not change who they are. But Cleveland has the series lead, and losing Game 2 at home would send Tampa Bay north for three games down 2-0.

Peralta gave them a September worth remembering. Tonight he needs to give them six innings.

First pitch is 8 PM ET.

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Rays Desk · Column

The Rays Have Had Five Days to Wait for This, and the Guardians Have Barely Slept

By Nick Cerbone, Editor-In-Chief · Oct 12, 2026

Tampa Bay opens the ALCS tonight at Tropicana Field with Drew Rasmussen fully rested and a Cleveland team still coming down from a Game 5.

The strange thing about a sweep is that you earn the reward of rest, and then you have to spend every hour of it waiting.

The Rays finished off the Yankees on Wednesday night in the Bronx, 4-3, to close out a 3-0 ALDS sweep. Victor Mesa Jr. hit a two-run homer, Ryan Vilade hit a solo shot, Ian Seymour got the win and Bryan Baker got the save. Then they went home and watched the rest of the American League bracket play out without them.

Five days later, the wait is over. Game 1 of the ALCS is tonight at 8 PM ET at Tropicana Field, Guardians at Rays, and the two teams arrive in about as different a condition as two clubs can.

Start with Cleveland. The Guardians beat the White Sox in a tense Game 5, partied into the early hours of Sunday, got very little sleep and boarded a flight to St. Petersburg. Stephen Vogt had not even picked a Game 1 starter when they landed. Asked about it, he laughed and said he would let everyone know when he woke up. He told Foster Griffin a half-hour before Sunday evening's workout.

That is not a knock on Griffin. The left-hander went 15-6 with a 3.60 ERA, a 1.21 WHIP and 158 strikeouts this year, and Cleveland got him from the Nationals on Aug. 3 for exactly this kind of moment. But he did not start a game in the division series. He threw 2 2/3 innings in relief in Game 3. Cleveland's best arms are spoken for. Gavin Williams dominated the White Sox for 5 2/3 innings Saturday and probably is not available until Game 3. Parker Messick started Game 4 and might be ready for Game 2. The Guardians are building this series on the fly.

Now look at the other dugout. Kevin Cash has known for the better part of a week that Rasmussen would start Game 1. Rasmussen watched Cleveland's Game 5 like a scouting session. He last pitched on Oct. 3, and he will be working on eight days of rest.

And remember what he did that night. In Game 1 of the ALDS at the Trop, Rasmussen carried a no-hitter into the eighth inning against the Yankees, struck out 10, walked two, and the Rays won 1-0. That is the man walking to the mound tonight. He went 16-5 with a 2.67 ERA, a 0.91 WHIP and 174 strikeouts in the regular season. In a best-of-seven, he can pitch up to three times.

So the obvious question is whether the extra rest helps or hurts. Teams that sweep always hear about rust. I get it. Timing at the plate is a real thing, and five days without live pitching is a long time in October. But I would rather have the Rays' problem than Cleveland's. Rust wears off in an inning or two. A bullpen that was emptied in an elimination game, and a rotation that has to be shuffled, do not fix themselves overnight.

Tampa Bay is not exactly whole either. Shane McClanahan is done for the postseason. Cash announced the Rays would shut him down rather than rush him back from the forearm tightness that sidelined him in early September. That stings. But the Rays have had depth all year. Freddy Peralta, Nick Martinez and Griffin Jax are fully rested. Peralta looks like the likely Game 2 starter, and he has been excellent since coming over from the Mets at the deadline. His fastball had extra life against the Yankees.

The numbers favor the home team, too. The Rays went 98-64 and won the AL East. They were 55-26 at home, which is about as good a home record as you will find. Cleveland went 85-77, won the AL Central, and was 44-37 on the road. The Guardians ranked 10th in the AL in team batting average at .239. And here is the stat I keep coming back to: the Rays were 41-7 this season in games where they did not allow a home run. Rasmussen keeps the ball in the yard, and the Trop is his building.

None of this was supposed to happen. The Rays were widely picked to finish last in the AL East. This sweep was the first in a best-of-five series or longer in franchise history, and it was their first postseason series win since the 2020 ALCS against Houston. They have reached the ALCS only twice before, in 2008 and 2020, and went to the World Series both times.

That is a nice bit of history, but history does not throw strikes. Rasmussen does. If he gives the Rays six good innings tonight, the bullpen is fresh behind him, and Cleveland has to come back for Game 2 with its pitching plan still being drawn up.

The Guardians earned their way here, and a tired team riding a Game 5 high can be dangerous. But the Rays have been waiting five days for this. The best thing they can do with all that rest is make Cleveland feel every hour of the sleep it missed.

First pitch is 8 PM ET. Be in your seat early.

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Rays Desk · Column

One Hit Is All the Yankees Get: Rasmussen Hands the Trop a Playoff Template

By Nick Cerbone, Editor-In-Chief · Oct 5, 2026

Drew Rasmussen's eight innings of one-hit baseball in a 1-0 Game 1 win showed the Rays exactly how they beat New York, and Freddy Peralta gets the first chance to copy it tonight.

The Yankees came to St. Petersburg with eight left-handed bats in the lineup, a former Cy Young winner on the mound and the swagger that comes with the logo. They left Tropicana Field on Saturday night with one hit, zero runs and a 0-1 hole in a best-of-five series.

That is not a fluke. That is a blueprint.

Drew Rasmussen threw eight innings, allowed one hit, walked two and struck out 10 in the Rays' 1-0 win in Game 1 of the American League Division Series. He did not give up a hit until there were two outs in the eighth, when Austin Wells sliced a double down the right field line. Even that turned into an out. Wells tried to stretch it into a triple and got cut down at third on a relay from Victor Mesa Jr. to Taylor Walls to Junior Caminero. Bryan Baker then took the ninth and retired the side in order for the save, striking out pinch hitter Giancarlo Stanton, freezing Ben Rice with a changeup and getting Cody Bellinger to ground out to end it.

One run. One swing. Jonathan Aranda hit a solo homer to right-center off Gerrit Cole in the third inning, a 417-foot shot, and that was the whole scoreboard. Cole allowed one run on five hits over five innings. Good was not enough.

Here is my take, and I will stand on it: the Rays did not just win a game. They showed the rest of this series what October baseball at the Trop is supposed to look like. Starter goes deep, defense finishes plays, the closer slams the door, and a sellout crowd of 40,542 makes the visitors feel every pitch. That is a home-field advantage you cannot buy.

Rasmussen was 16-5 with a 2.67 ERA in the regular season and made his second straight All-Star team. He had Tommy John surgery at Oregon State in 2016 and a second one in the minors in 2018, then an internal brace procedure in July 2023 that cost him more than a year. He is 31, and he is absolutely this guy.

His 10 strikeouts tied Tyler Glasnow's franchise record for a postseason game. He piled up a career-high 23 swinging strikes, the most by a Ray in a playoff game, working cutters, changeups, four-seamers and two-seamers. He retired 15 straight at one point. MLB.com noted it was the longest postseason no-hit bid in franchise history, and that he became the first pitcher since Aníbal Sánchez in the 2019 NLCS to carry one through 7 2/3 innings in the playoffs.

And this was not new information for New York. Rasmussen entered with a 1.81 ERA in 11 career regular-season games against the Yankees. On Sept. 22 at Yankee Stadium, he took a no-hit bid into the seventh and struck out 11 in the win that clinched the AL East. New York has seen him twice in two weeks with everything on the line and barely touched him.

Pitching coach Kyle Snyder did not hedge. "He's the industry standard. At this point, he sets the standard," Snyder said.

Aranda, who supplied the only run, put it simpler through interpreter Kevin Vera: "If you look it up, the definition of ace, in my opinion, is Drew Rasmussen."

Even the other dugout conceded the point. "I feel like he just hit all his spots today," Jazz Chisholm Jr. said. "He was on."

The win was Tampa Bay's first in the postseason since Game 1 of the 2021 ALDS. What matters is how this one was won. Kevin Cash had his other starters available in the bullpen just in case. He did not need any of them. Rasmussen covered eight, Baker covered one, and the rotation stayed fresh.

That pays off right now, because the series is played in a 2-2-1 format with off days after Games 1, 2 and 4. Game 2 is tonight, Monday, Oct. 5, at 8 PM ET at the Trop. Then it shifts to Yankee Stadium for Game 3 on Wednesday. Cash said Rasmussen "went out and doubled down" and "made it pretty easy to sit back and watch and take some decisions out of our hands." Translation: the manager got a free night, and he gets to set up the rest of the series exactly how he wants it.

Freddy Peralta gets the ball tonight against Cam Schlittler. Peralta came over from the Mets this season and has been sharp since, including a 1.69 ERA and 0.75 WHIP over his last four home starts at the Trop. He was ready to pitch in relief Saturday if needed. "I was available for any situation, but knowing and understanding that Monday probably was going to be my opportunity," Peralta said.

He does not have to be Rasmussen. He just has to follow the outline: work deep, trust the defense behind him, and hand Baker a lead. Do that, and the Rays fly to the Bronx with a 2-0 cushion and two chances to finish it.

The Yankees got one hit on Saturday. The Rays got a template. Tonight we find out if it travels from the first starter to the second.

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03Game center + scheduleMatchups, kickoff information and the season ahead.
FLSportsDesk.com · Team Outlook

Team Outlook

The Tampa Bay Rays are down 0-2 after 3-2 and 5-4 losses in Milwaukee, with three straight home games starting Oct. 26. Drew Rasmussen and Nick Martinez must provide length, or the Trop stand becomes a farewell.

Tampa Bay swept New York in three tight games, split its first two home games with Cleveland, then won 7-3 and 3-1 on the road before closing the series 7-3. The World Series opened on consecutive nights, Oct. 23 and Oct. 24, then shifts to Florida for three straight games from Oct. 26 through Oct. 28 before a possible return north on Oct. 30 and Oct. 31. That compression punishes short starts because the top leverage arms already carry 65 and 71 appearances.

An 0-2 hole in a best-of-seven leaves no margin, and Tampa Bay surrendered the matchup leverage by losing both road openers. Every game now feels like an elimination game.

Watch the early pitch counts in the Oct. 26 opener, bullpen availability after consecutive one-run losses and whether Tampa Bay steals Game 3. A win makes Oct. 27 and Oct. 28 feel like pressure. A loss makes them feel like farewell. Length is the whole series.

Reporting for this desk

DRaysBay

World Series Game Two Preview: Tampa Bay Rays vs Milwaukee Brewers

Game one is in the books and what a game it was. One of those games where a matter of inches was the difference between victory and defeat and you just have to tip your cap and move on to the next one. So tonight the Tampa Bay Rays and Milwaukee Brewers will move on […]

DRaysBay

World Series Game One Preview: Tampa Bay Rays vs Milwaukee Brewers

The time has finally arrived. The Tampa Bay Rays will take on the Milwaukee Brewers in the first game of the 2026 World Series tonight at American Family Field with the first pitch slated for just after 8:00. A benefit of the series happening between Tampa Bay and Milwaukee is that weather will not play […]

DRaysBay

Rays Your Voice: Rays win the pennant, World Series Preview

On the newest Rays Your Voice, I break down the Rays’ pennant-clinching game 6 win over the Guardians, and what the atmosphere was like inside Tropicana Field. About halfway through the episode, I am joined by Danny Russell to preview the World Series matchup against the Milwaukee Brewers. Stay tuned for instant reaction podcasts after […]

SEASON CONTEXT Spring Training evaluates roles; only regular-season games move the record and Wild Card thesis.

Recent games

MLB regular season
vs Boston Red SoxSat Sep 19 · 4:10 PM ET · Tropicana Field
2–1
MLB regular season
vs Boston Red SoxSun Sep 20 · 1:40 PM ET · Tropicana Field
5–1
MLB regular season
at New York YankeesTue Sep 22 · 1:05 PM ET · Yankee Stadium
0–2
MLB regular season
at New York YankeesTue Sep 22 · 7:05 PM ET · Yankee Stadium
6–1
MLB regular season
at New York YankeesWed Sep 23 · 7:05 PM ET · Yankee Stadium
2–9
MLB regular season
at New York YankeesThu Sep 24 · 7:05 PM ET · Yankee Stadium
4–6
MLB regular season
at Philadelphia PhilliesFri Sep 25 · 6:40 PM ET · Citizens Bank Park
2–0
MLB regular season
at Philadelphia PhilliesSat Sep 26 · 7:15 PM ET · Citizens Bank Park
12–1
MLB regular season
at Philadelphia PhilliesSun Sep 27 · 2:30 PM ET · Citizens Bank Park
3–7

Remaining schedule

04Intelligence + availabilityTeam news, availability and what it changes.
FLSportsDesk.com · Team Outlook

Availability and Matchup Watch

The Tampa Bay Rays went 98-64, but they are down 0-2 after 3-2 and 5-4 losses in Milwaukee. Junior Caminero still gives a pitching-first club the one swing that can rewrite three home games.

Tampa Bay finished 98-64 with a plus-86 run differential to earn the No. 1 seed ahead of New York at 93-68 and Cleveland at 85-77, then swept New York and beat Cleveland 4-2 to reach Milwaukee. Drew Rasmussen and Nick Martinez delivered 352 innings with 2.67 and 3.10 ERAs. Bryan Baker, Kevin Kelly, Tyler Wells and Cam Booser each finished below 2.50, forging a close-game identity that cracked in Game 2 when a 4-0 lead behind Rasmussen dissolved into a 5-4 loss. MLB.com described steady two-strike damage, while DRaysBay charted Tampa Bay's missed chances. The Rays are hitting .230 with a .640 OPS, eight homers and 85 strikeouts against 25 walks in October, leaving Liam Hicks and Chandler Simpson too little traffic for Caminero and designated hitter Yandy Díaz. No official transaction changed the 26-man group, so the same leverage relievers who logged 65 and 71 appearances now face three games in three days in Florida from Oct. 26 through Oct. 28. This is still a contender, but the margin is razor thin. Two soft lineup spots, a leaky back end and an 0-2 hole leave the Rays running out of outs.

An 0-2 deficit after blowing a four-run lead gives Milwaukee control of the 2-3-2 format. Fan chatter about decisions and approach does not change that math. Mood is not a box score.

Watch the isolated power against Milwaukee, whether Simpson reaches near his .306 rate and whether the bullpen ERA settles after the Cleveland spike and Game 2. Traffic and clean late innings can still force a return trip north.

Reporting for this desk

DRaysBay

Game 1 Slipped Away, One Chance at a Time : Rays 2, Brewers 3

The Tampa Bay Rays had a World Series Game 1 win on the line multiple times. They just could not reel it in. Tampa Bay dropped Game 1 of the World Series 3-2 to the Milwaukee Brewers on Friday night. A ninth-inning rally, kept alive by a replay review, ended with the tying run on […]

What tells us it can last

More than the record

Run differential, lineup depth, rotation innings, bullpen performance and the remaining opponents tell us whether Tampa Bay is built to hold its place.

October test

Path, not possibility

Making the field is not the finish line. Tampa Bay has to arrive with a rotation and bullpen capable of surviving the American League bracket.

05Roster + depthThe full personnel board and sourced starting units where available.
FLSportsDesk.com · Team Outlook

Team Outlook

The Tampa Bay Rays are down 0-2 after scoring six runs in 3-2 and 5-4 losses in Milwaukee, and the 26-man group looks top-heavy. Junior Caminero leads the short list of proven thump that must carry three home games.

Tampa Bay carries 12 pitchers, two catchers, six infielders, five outfielders and Díaz in a standard October build, but the real quality is bunched at the front. Drew Rasmussen and Nick Martinez combined for 352 innings with ERAs no higher than 3.10 to bridge games to the back end. October has exposed the bottom of the order and the back of the staff. Starter length in Florida now decides whether the unproven depth stays hidden.

Cedric Mullins hit .205, and Jorge Mateo hit .203 with negative WAR. October pitchers can work around Caminero to reach soft outs.

Watch how pitchers Griffin Jax and Ian Seymour work behind the front two, whether Victor Mesa Jr keeps earning at-bats and how often Mullins plays after hitting .205. Those choices will show how much the staff trusts the roster's edge.

Reporting for this desk

MLB Trade Rumors - Rays

Brewers, Rays Announce World Series Rosters

The World Series starts tonight with the Brewers hosting the Rays. The action kicks off at 7 pm CT. Both clubs have submitted their 26-man squads for the matchup. The Brewers are rolling with 13 pitchers and 13 position players. The big news is Brandon Woodruff, who makes the final cut after a long layoff. The […]

MLB Trade Rumors - Rays

Poll: Who Will Win The World Series?

The top seed in each league will meet in the World Series. The Brewers host the Rays in the Fall Classic, with Game 1 set for Friday at 7 pm CT. Jacob Misiorowski will start for Milwaukee. Tampa Bay’s starter is TBD at this time. The Brewers come into the series with a nice rest […]

Pitchers · 12 players
#PlayerPosAgeStatus
#47Bryan BakerRP31Active
#62Cam BooserRP34Active
#60Garrett CleavingerRP32Active
#22Griffin JaxSP31Active
#49Kevin KellyRP28Active
#28Nick MartinezSP36Active
#32Steven MatzRP35Active
#51Freddy PeraltaSP30Active
#57Drew RasmussenSP31Active
#61Ian SeymourSP27Active
#71Cole SulserRP36Active
#68Tyler WellsRP32Active
Catchers · 2 players
#PlayerPosAgeStatus
#40Nick FortesC29Active
#34Liam HicksC27Active
Infielders · 6 players
#PlayerPosAgeStatus
#8Jonathan Aranda1B28Active
#13Junior Caminero3B23Active
#9Jorge MateoSS31Active
#1Richie Palacios2B29Active
#6Taylor WallsSS30Active
#15Ben Williamson2B25Active
Outfielders · 5 players
#PlayerPosAgeStatus
#21Jonny DeLucaRF28Active
#25Victor Mesa Jr.RF25Active
#31Cedric MullinsCF32Active
#14Chandler SimpsonLF25Active
#26Ryan ViladeRF27Active
Designated Hitter · 1 players
#PlayerPosAgeStatus
#2Yandy DiazDH35Active
06Roster rules + transactionsThe rules and transactions shaping the roster.
FLSportsDesk.com · Team Outlook

Team Outlook

The Tampa Bay Rays went 98-64, but they are down 0-2 after 3-2 and 5-4 losses in Milwaukee, and this October roster looks top-heavy. Junior Caminero has to carry three home games because the back end cannot.

Tampa Bay carries a standard 26-man October group with 12 pitchers, and the quality clusters around Drew Rasmussen and Nick Martinez plus Bryan Baker. Liam Hicks and Chandler Simpson supply contact and speed around Caminero and Díaz, while Cedric Mullins and Jorge Mateo sag at the bottom. With three games in three days at the Trop starting Oct. 26, short starts would tax the same leverage relievers who already logged 65 and 71 appearances.

Mullins hit .205 with a .628 OPS, while Mateo hit .203 with negative WAR. October pitchers can work around Caminero to reach soft outs.

Watch Rasmussen's pitch count early in the Florida games, whether Hicks and Simpson reach ahead of Caminero and whether Baker gets a clean ninth with a lead. Traffic plus length will show whether the tight-game script still works.

Reporting for this desk

DRaysBay

Tampa Bay Rays and Milwaukee Brewers superlatives

Hey you! Sitting there at your watch party, observing Nick Martinez induce yet another weak fly ball to Chandler Simpson while the Rays have jumped to a 2-0 lead in Game One of the World Series against the Milwaukee Brewers. Wouldn’t you like some random knowledge about the Rays and Brewers to throw out the […]

DRaysBay

Nick Martinez to start game one of the 2026 World Series

Last offseason, Nick Martinez was seeking an opportunity with a team that would allow him be a starting pitcher. Now, he is starting the first game of the World Series for the Tampa Bay Rays as they take on the Milwaukee Brewers. Tampa Bay signed Martinez just prior to Spring Training, Martinez was excited by […]

Baseball operations

Control, options and opportunity cost

  • 26-man active roster and 40-man reserve list
  • Minor-league options control player movement
  • Injured-list placement creates temporary roster space
  • Arbitration and club control shape payroll timing
  • Trade, waiver and Rule 5 exposure affect asset value
MLB transaction glossary
Decision test

Present wins versus future value

Every promotion, DFA, trade and innings decision is graded against the Wild Card race, player development and the club-control window.

07Standings + rankingsThe division or conference race and national context.
FLSportsDesk.com · Team Outlook

Team Outlook

The Tampa Bay Rays finished 98-64 as the American League's No. 1 seed, but they are down 0-2 after 3-2 and 5-4 losses in Milwaukee. Junior Caminero must turn three nights at the Trop starting Oct. 26 into a series again.

Tampa Bay finished 98-64 at .605 with 736 runs scored and 650 allowed for a plus-86 differential, 4.5 games ahead of New York and 13 ahead of Cleveland. The Rays proved the formula by sweeping New York 1-0, 5-2 and 4-3 and closing Cleveland in six games. That seeding edge now lives or dies on starter length and bullpen freshness in a 2-3-2 format with three straight games in Florida.

Tampa Bay lost Game 1 to Cleveland 7-3 and Game 3 by 3-2, then dropped the World Series opener 3-2 before blowing a four-run lead in a 5-4 Game 2 loss. A plus-86 club can still get punched early.

Watch whether Tampa Bay splits or sweeps the Florida dates from Oct. 26 through Oct. 28 and whether the contact survives past the seventh inning. A home surge keeps the seed useful. Another quiet night buries it.

Reporting for this desk

American League

Wild Card context

ClubWLPCTGBDIFF
New York Yankees9368.5784.5+138
Boston Red Sox8775.53711+78
Chicago White Sox8478.51914+56
Cleveland Guardians8577.52513+11
Houston Astros8181.50017-32
Texas Rangers8082.49418-46
Baltimore Orioles7982.49118.5-21
Toronto Blue Jays7983.48819-46
Minnesota Twins7785.47521-58
Detroit Tigers7686.46922+71
Seattle Mariners7686.46922-58
Kansas City Royals6993.42629-120
Athletics6498.39534-238
Los Angeles Angels62100.38336-97
Tampa Bay Rays9864.605-+86
08PerformancePerformance measures, baselines and supporting evidence.
FLSportsDesk.com · Team Outlook

Team Outlook

The Tampa Bay Rays have scored 41 runs while hitting .230 with a .640 OPS through 11 October games, and they are down 0-2 after 3-2 and 5-4 losses. Junior Caminero still carries the 42-homer profile that can flip cold math fast.

The full-season line reads .258 with a .326 on-base percentage, .402 slugging percentage, 3.70 ERA and 1.14 WHIP across 162 games. October reads .230 with a .291 on-base percentage, .349 slugging percentage, eight homers and 85 strikeouts against 25 walks. That contact drop hits the roster directly because short starts force middle relievers into leverage before the series reaches Florida.

The October OPS sits at .640 with a .349 slugging percentage and .291 on-base percentage. Singles and steals go nowhere when nobody reaches.

Watch the isolated power against Milwaukee, whether Chandler Simpson reaches near his .306 rate and whether the bullpen ERA settles after the Cleveland spike. Traffic and clean late innings can still win a homestand.

VERIFIED DATA SOURCES ESPN detailed metrics; core game and run totals cross-verified against the official MLB Stats API. Open the official MLB feed.

Players shaping the season

Taylor Walls
SS · 2026

Taylor Walls

.222AVG.309OBP.298SLG.607OPS2HR36RBI21SB3.5WAR
Liam Hicks
C · 2026

Liam Hicks

.284AVG.367OBP.434SLG.801OPS18HR82RBI3SB3.3WAR
Bryan Baker
RP · 2026

Bryan Baker

4W2L1.44ERA0.91WHIP62.1IP63K41SV2.9WAR
Tyler Wells
RP · 2026

Tyler Wells

5W2L2.38ERA0.90WHIP72.0IP72K6SV2.3WAR

Reporting for this desk

Team profile

Team Games Played11Batting
At Bats352Batting
Hits81Batting
Runs Batted In38Batting
Home Runs8Batting
Stolen Bases15Batting
Batting Average.230Batting
Runs41Batting
Doubles16Batting
Triples1Batting
Total Bases123Batting
Walks25Batting
Strikeouts85Batting
On Base Percentage.291Batting
Slugging Percentage.349Batting
OBP Pct + SLG Pct.640Batting
Games Played11Batting
Games Started11Batting
Hit By Pitch6Batting
Wins Above Replacement0.0Batting
Offensive Wins Above Replacement0.0Batting
Caught Stealing2Batting
Is Qualified1Batting
Runs Created37.7Batting
Runs Created Per 27 Outs3.6Batting
Walks Per Plate Appearance.064Batting
Walk To Strikeout Ratio0.29Batting
Isolated Power.119Batting
Secondary Average.227Batting
Pitches Per Plate Appearance3.72Batting
Extra Base Hits25Batting
Plate Appearances391Batting
At Bats Per Home Run44.0Batting
Sacrifice Hit5Batting
Sacrifice Flies2Batting
Team Games Played11Pitching
Quality Starts4Pitching
Wins7Pitching
Losses4Pitching
Saves5Pitching
Holds13Pitching
Hits77Pitching
09Reporting + sourcesThe reporting and source links behind the desk.
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