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Rays Beat Guardians 7-3 in Game 6 to Win AL Pennant, Set Up World Series With Brewers

Tampa Bay took the ALCS 4-2 at Tropicana Field behind two home runs and a dominant series from Freddy Peralta, the ALCS MVP, and will meet Milwaukee in a World Series between two franchises that have never won a title.

By admin Oct. 20, 2026 · 8:42 AM ET 2 min read

A packed baseball stadium lit by bright floodlights at night

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — The Tampa Bay Rays are heading to the World Series. The Rays beat the Cleveland Guardians 7-3 on Monday night at Tropicana Field to win the American League Championship Series 4-2, setting up a Fall Classic against the Milwaukee Brewers.

Junior Caminero and Yandy Díaz each hit home runs in the deciding game, and Freddy Peralta allowed one run and five hits over 5 1/3 innings before the bullpen closed it out. Peralta was named the ALCS MVP after going 2-0 with a 0.75 ERA in three appearances, including two starts.

A hand gripping a baseball inside a worn brown leather glove with stadium lights blurred behind

Peralta’s turnaround season ends with MVP

Peralta’s season looked very different two months ago. He went 5-9 with a 4.99 ERA in 22 starts for the New York Mets before Tampa Bay acquired him in an Aug. 2 trade. He went 5-2 with a 3.25 ERA in 10 starts for the Rays and was named the American League pitcher of the month for September.

A baseball flying through the air near a blurred batter swinging at night under bright stadium lights

“This is crazy,” Peralta said after the game. “I’m very happy to be here and grateful to be here because when I was in July, I had no idea where I was going to be. I think that this was the right place.” Rays manager Kevin Cash introduced him on the postgame stage as “Fastball Freddy,” a reference to the four-seam fastball that powered him through the series.

The World Series now brings a personal storyline: Peralta spent eight seasons in Milwaukee, going 17-6 with a 2.70 ERA last year, before the Brewers traded him to the Mets in January. He could pitch Game 2 in Milwaukee on four days’ rest or Game 3 back at Tropicana Field.

Two first-time hopefuls meet in the Fall Classic

Baseball fans seen from behind raising their arms in celebration as confetti falls in a stadium at night

The Brewers reached the World Series after a 103-win regular season and a four-game sweep of the defending-champion Los Angeles Dodgers. The Rays and Brewers are among five MLB teams that have never won a World Series, which means the 2026 Fall Classic will crown a first-time champion.

For Tampa Bay, it is the franchise’s third AL pennant. For Cleveland, the loss ends a season that had the Guardians one win from the pennant. The World Series matchup pits Milwaukee’s season-long pitching depth against a Tampa Bay rotation that rode timely hitting and one of the most consequential midseason trades of the year.

Reporting based on coverage by the Associated Press (via TSN) and Particle News.

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